Updated COVID vaccines arrive at Madison County Health Department
Sep. 27—ANDERSON — The updated COVID-19 vaccine is now available by appointment at the Madison County Health Department.
Scheduling appointments will enable the staff to get a sense of the demand, according to health department administrator Stephenie Mellinger.
If the demand is manageable, walk-ins will be welcomed, she said.
The newly updated vaccine was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration this month. It will protect against variants including XBB 1.5, also known as the "Kraken" strain.
The subvariant of the Omicron strain is responsible for about 9% of cases in Region 5, which includes Indiana, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Kraken subvariant is also thought to be highly transmissible and more resistant to antibodies than previous variants, according to an article from the American Medical Association.
Though more research is needed, symptoms seem to be less severe than those caused by previous variants. Such symptoms could include cough, congestion, fever, chills, fatigue, diarrhea, muscle or body aches and shortness of breath.
Emergency care should be sought if shortness of breath occurs.
Follow Caleb Amick on Twitter @AmickCaleb. Contact him at caleb.amick@heraldbulletin.com or 765-648-4254.
