September 12, 2023 – Following FDA regulatory action, the CDC has recommended updated 2023-2024 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older that target the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized or available in the United States. The new COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are as follows:
• Everyone aged 5 years and older should get 1 dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness from COVID-19.
• People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get additional doses of updated
COVID-19 vaccine.
• Children aged 6 months–4 years may need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be up to date if not previously vaccinated, including at least 1 dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine if vaccinated.
• GCHD recommends regular monitoring of CDC and Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) website as they continue to finalize recommendations and updates.
o CDC
o DOH
The COVID-19 vaccines can protect you in several key ways:
- They can greatly reduce your chance of getting seriously ill if you get COVID-19
- Completing the vaccine series reduces your chances of hospitalization and lowers your risk of dying from COVID-19
- They are highly effective at preventing COVID-19
- They add to the number of people in the community who are protected from getting COVID-19, making it harder for the disease to spread
Experts continue to conduct more studies about the ability of the vaccine to keep people from spreading the virus to others. Once you are fully vaccinated, it is still possible to get COVID-19, but it’s a much smaller chance than if you weren’t vaccinated. You’re also very unlikely to get really sick or need to go to the hospital. The studies found that each of the vaccines had at least 85 percent efficacy in preventing severe COVID-19 illness. The vaccines also prevented many people from getting any COVID-19 symptoms:
- Pfizer-BioNTech, 95 percent
- Moderna, 94 percent
- Novavax, 90 percent
Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness | Washington State Department of Health
How to stay up to date:
Everyone aged 6 years and older should get 1 updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they’ve received any original COVID-19 vaccines.
Some people may get additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines:
- People aged 65 years and older may get 1 additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine 4 or more months after the 1st updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get 1 additional dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine 2 or more months after the last updated COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider about additional updated doses.
For more information visit: Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC
Myths VS Facts
MYTH | FACT |
---|---|
The ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous | Nearly all the ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines are also ingredients in many foods – fats, sugars, and salts. Read the EUA below for ingredient list. |
The natural immunity I get from being sick with COVID-19 is better than the immunity I get from COVID-19 vaccination. | Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is a safer and more dependable way to build immunity to COVID-19 than getting sick with COVID-19. |
COVID-19 vaccines cause variants. | COVID-19 vaccines do not create or cause variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Instead, COVID-19 vaccines can help prevent new variants from emerging. |
COVID-19 vaccines can alter or change DNA. | The vaccine acts like a shield to protect you against the virus and does not enter the cells to change DNA. |
A COVID-19 vaccine can make me sick with COVID-19. | Because none of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19, the vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19. |
What’s in the vaccine?
Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines do not contain any of the following:
- Human cells (including fetal cells)
- The COVID-19 virus
- latex
- preservatives
- any animal by-products (including pork products or gelatin)
- eggs or egg products (not grown in eggs)
For a complete list of ingredients and risks read the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) forms linked below. For more information reach out to your primary care physician.
Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness | Washington State Department of Health
Fact Sheets:
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet
- Moderna COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet
- Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet
- Novavax COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet
How do I stay up to date?
If you received… | Who should get a booster: | When to get a booster: | Which booster to get: |
---|---|---|---|
Pfizer-BioNTech | People 5 years and older | People 5 -11 years old can receive a monovalent booster at least 5 months after completing the primary series People 12 years and older can receive an updated bivalent booster at least 2 months after completing the primary series or prior booster dose | People under 12 years old may only get a monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. People 12-17 years old should only receive an updated bivalent Pfizer booster. People 18 years and older should receive an updated bivalent Pfizer or Moderna booster. |
Moderna | People 5 years and older | At least 2 months after completing the primary series or prior booster dose | People 5 years and old should only receive an updated bivalent Pfizer booster. People 6 years older and older should receive an updated bivalent booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna |
Johnson & Johnson | People 18 years and older | At least 2 months after completing the primary series or prior booster dose. | People 18 years and older should receive an updated bivalent booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna |
Novavax | People 12 years and older | At least 2 months after completing the primary series or prior booster dose. | People 12 years and older should receive an updated bivalent booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna |
Source: Vaccine Booster Doses | Washington State Department of Health