What Doctors Want You to Know About Getting the New COVID-19 Vaccine
The updated COVID-19 vaccine is now available.
Infectious disease doctors recommend being smart about the timing of your shot.
You can expect similar side effects to the previous vaccines if you have them at all.
The new COVID-19 vaccine is hitting pharmacies and doctor’s offices near you. Major chains like CVS and Walgreens are now advertising the updated vaccine, giving people the option to roll up their sleeve while shopping. But when should you get the new COVID-19 shot? It turns out, that timing does matter.
Meet the experts: William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; and John Sellick, D.O., an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo
Just like the timing of your flu shot, infectious disease specialists say it’s important to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine at the right time. So, when should you get the new COVID-19 booster? Here’s what doctors recommend, and everything you need to know about the latest vaccine.
What variants does the new COVID-19 vaccine protect against?
The updated COVID-19 vaccine is similar to previous vaccines—it just targets different strains of the virus. “It’s been changed to reflect the variants of COVID-19 that are now circulating,” says William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “We’re updating it the same way we update the influenza vaccine each year to keep up with the virus.”
This particular shot targets strains from the KP.2 lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, per more recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the Novavax vaccine will target the JN.1 variants, which now make up a small portion of the circulating variants, according to the FDA’s original recommendations. (The Novavax vaccine takes more time to make than those from Moderna and Pfizer.)
When should I get the new COVID-19 vaccine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends everyone six months and older get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC doesn’t get into details about when to get vaccinated, other than to say that you can delay your shot for three months if you just had the virus. “I recommend that if people are going to get the updated COVID vaccine, especially those that are high risk, that they get it now,” says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “COVID activity is still significantly elevated at this time and the vaccine appears well matched to the current dominant variant.”
But, if you’re not immunocompromised, Dr. Schaffner says you’re OK to get your shot in October, if you can wait. “The longer you can wait, the longer your protection will last through the winter,” he explains. “October is an excellent time to get both the COVID and influenza vaccine.” (For the record, Dr. Schaffner says you’re fine to get both your COVID and flu shot at once if you want.)
You may want to consider your upcoming plans, too, says John Sellick, D.O., an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo. “I tell people who will be traveling to get the vaccine beforehand,” he says. “But for most of us, waiting and getting the vaccine in a reasonable time frame is fine.”
Dr. Sellick says that “there isn’t an absolute [best] time” to get the vaccine, but recommends getting it when you can. “If you have a doctor’s visit scheduled next week, get the vaccine,” he says. “It’s the perfect time to get caught up.”
What are the side effects of the latest COVID-19 vaccine?
Potential side effects of the updated COVID-19 vaccine are the same as they’ve been in the past. Per the CDC, those may include:
Pain, swelling, and redness on the arm where you got your shot
Tiredness
Headache
Muscle pain
Chills
Nausea
Fever
“It’s mostly a sore arm and a little tenderness in the arm where you got the shot,” Dr. Schaffner says. “But some people feel out of sorts for a day or so.”
If you’re not feeling your best after getting your shot, Dr. Schaffner says you can put a cool compress on the injection site to help with soreness and take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with other side effects. Just keep in mind that the CDC doesn’t recommend taking ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen before you get vaccinated to try to prevent side effects.
Where can I get the updated COVID-19 vaccine?
Most doctor’s offices now stock the updated vaccine, although it’s a good idea to call ahead if you’re interested in going that route, to be sure. If you prefer to get your shot outside of a doctor’s office, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart are already taking appointments for the updated vaccine.
“It’s just important to get it,” Dr. Schaffner says. “We should all get vaccinated, not only for our personal benefit but for our families and those around us. All of us should be doing this together.”
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