Springfield-Greene County Health Department updating COVID-19 vaccine schedule – KY3

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is updating its COVID-19 vaccine schedule and recommending another booster for those most at risk for COVID-19.

Dr. Nancy Yoon, Chief Medical Officer for the Health Department, says this is to keep up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidelines.

“The FDA and the CDC’s advisory committee released some simplified recommendations on the COVID-19 vaccines,” said Yoon. “So an additional dose is now recommended for adults who are 65 years and older or if they’re immunocompromised to receive an additional booster.”

The Health Department says the updated booster is available for those groups four months after they received the first updated dose.

Many may have questions about why another dose is needed. Yoon says this updated dose protects against variants of COVID-19, as well as the original virus.

“It’s called the bivalent vaccine and has a few different components. So it has parts that protect against the original COVID-19 virus, but it also has some that cover against the newer variants,” said Yoon.

While the additional booster isn’t recommended for the general public yet, those who haven’t gotten their COVID-19 vaccine can get a single dose of the updated booster instead of multiple doses of the original vaccine.

Yoon says the vaccine may soon be recommended as a yearly shot, similar to the flu shot.

“The advisory committees are still reviewing the data, but they are possibly moving to a once-a-year recommendation for the general population, so similar to the flu shot,” said Yoon.

To find a place to get your updated COVID-19 booster shot, visit here.

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