June 13, 2022
Primary vaccination series, first booster, second booster … what to get and when to get it can be quite confusing. Here, we’ll help explain who should have booster shot(s) and when, as well as why it’s important to stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations.
Keeping you and your family up to date on vaccinations is key to better protecting your loved ones’ health. In the case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2, the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, vaccination is much safer than infection or reinfection. Staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations will significantly reduce your chances of severe disease and death.
To stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations, get the recommended number of vaccines as outlined for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This may mean a primary vaccine series and 1 booster or a primary vaccine series and 2 boosters. The number of shots in your primary series can vary based on type of vaccine and an individual’s health status.
The CDC recommends boosters for those eligible ages 5 and up. Get boosted.
Experts agree that when herd immunity from the last omicron wave begins to falter, booster shots become vital to protecting your health. Even if you’ve had COVID-19, the recommendation is to still boost up: 8-12 weeks after infection and 90 days after monoclonal antibody treatments. After your primary vaccination series, boosters can further enhance and/or restore protection that may have decreased over time.