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Tags Posts tagged with "Booster"

Booster

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

As the holiday season approaches, remember to protect yourself and others by staying up-to-date with your COVID-19 and flu vaccines. You may be eligible to receive your flu vaccine at the same time as a recommended COVID-19 vaccine. Your healthcare practitioner or pharmacist can help you decide if you should receive both vaccines at the same time.

Flu Vaccine

CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every flu season, with rare exceptions. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of serious complications from influenza. A full listing of people at Higher Risk of Developing Flu-Related Complications is available.

COVID-19 Vaccine

CDC recommends that people ages 5 years and older receive one updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was:

  • Their final primary series dose; or
  • An original (monovalent) booster.

People who have gotten more than one original (monovalent) booster are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) booster.

Staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination is important for maximum protection. You are up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccines if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC.

You are still up-to-date if you receive all COVID-19 vaccine doses recommended for you and then become ill with COVID-19. You do not need to be immediately revaccinated or receive an additional booster.

Updated (bivalent) boosters became available on:

  • September 2, 2022, for people 12 years of age and older; and
  • October 12, 2022, for people aged 5–11.

Your healthcare practitioner, including your pharmacist, can help you determine if you are up to date with your vaccines.

Additional Resources

Image by Katja Fuhlert from Pixabay

ODP Announcement 22-118 reminds Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) providers of the expectation to support individuals to access all available and recommended vaccinations and promote health and safety by providing helpful reminders about holiday gatherings.

ODP expects that providers will ensure that all individuals supported have timely opportunities to remain up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination as defined by the CDC and are educated on how to practice heathy habits. This announcement also shares resources available to support people in making safe decisions during the holiday season.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Updated (bivalent) boosters became available September 2, 2022. Prior to September 2022, the available boosters were original, monovalent boosters. The CDC recommends that people ages 5 years and older receive one updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was:

  • Their final primary series dose, or
  • An original (monovalent) booster.

People who have gotten more than one original (monovalent) booster are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) booster.

Boosters are an important part of protecting yourself from getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19. The CDC has developed a tool to determine when or if you (or your child) can get one or more COVID-19 boosters. This tool can be accessed here.

Image by Katja Fuhlert from Pixabay

ODP Announcement 22-105 provides the most recent update to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about details for COVID-19 vaccine and boosters. Release of this announcement will obsolete “ODPANN 22-046: COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Reminder.”

This updated guidance includes information on newly available booster vaccines, which are referred to as bivalent or updated vaccines. The guidance also discusses the availability of a newer primary vaccine called the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC has updated information regarding the vaccination schedule for individuals based on age and provides considerations based on additional factors. Full information is available at the CDC’s Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

ODP Announcement 22-046 serves as a reminder about a recent update to recommendations from the Pennsylvania Department of Health about details for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. The CDC updated their COVID-19 vaccine booster recommendations on May 19, 2022, to include guidance on boosters for children ages 5 through 11.

Pennsylvanians age 12 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine booster, and those who are immunocompromised should receive a second booster dose at least four months after their first booster.

Eligible individuals are now able to schedule appointments and receive vaccine or booster doses. The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will not be coordinating clinics for COVID-19 vaccine or booster doses.

Supports Coordination Organizations (SCO) and Supports Coordinators (SC) must make note of the following:

  • Supports Coordinators (SC) are responsible for ensuring vaccine access for each individual supported by their organization.
  • SCs are expected to be aware of vaccine and vaccination process information.
  • SCs are responsible to support the vaccination process through coordination of vaccine access and vaccination appointments.

Residential Providers must make note of the following:

  • Residential service providers are expected to identify a vaccine provider or have a plan for vaccinations of residents.
  • Providers encountering difficulties locating vaccine resources can contact ODP via email.

Questions about this announcement may be directed via email to ODP.