Three years after the pandemic, most everyone has moved past Zoom calls, masks and relentless hand sanitizing in a return to normal life. Pandemic fatigue might explain why only seven percent of Americans have received their updated vaccine this fall. But every week, about 18,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths still occur due to COVID-19. If we want to mitigate the risks of COVID-19, we must continue protecting ourselves by getting the most up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations.
Despite the substantial decrease in the prevalence and risks of COVID-19 over the past three years, the CDC and medical professionals strongly recommend getting the updated vaccines (formerly known as “boosters”). This includes Kawsar Talaat, an associate professor in the department of international health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH).
“It’s important for everybody to get vaccinated so that we protect those of the communities that are the most vulnerable… older people and those whose immune systems can’t mount a good response to the vaccine,” Talaat said.
Currently, there are three updated vaccines in the United States. Two of these, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are mRNA-based vaccines, while the third one, Novavax, is a protein-based vaccine. Although they all function a little differently, Talaat says that all work well and the exact type “does not matter.”
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Medical Officer Patricia Kapunan said that while COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory for school entry, MCPS strongly recommends the updated vaccine for students and faculty.
Kapunan suggests students obtain updated vaccines at any retail pharmacy and suggests using vaccines.gov to locate pharmacies with available vaccine doses. Vaccines.gov is a resource run by the CDC to provide updated vaccine information and scheduling tools.
Kapunan also recommends the CDC’s Vaccines For Children (VFC) program held throughout MCPS as resources for students and families that do not have health insurance.
Upper School Nurse Jillian Pedone noted that contacting a pediatrician is also a great resource, especially for high school students.
“Your pediatrician would also probably have them [the updated vaccines] available, and that’s really the best person to partner with to make those decisions,” Pedone said.
In regards to timing, Pedone said that the best time to obtain an updated vaccine is now. If one has not yet obtained the vaccine, For those who have recently contracted COVID-19, vaccines should be obtained three months after the infection, according to the CDC.
“I think you need to make the decision that is best for you in coordination with your doctor. I personally am getting the COVID booster…,” Pedone said. “But I think we all should be doing things that are helping keep us safe and healthy … like washing our hands, making sure if we’re sick, we’re staying home. And if we’ve learned anything from COVID it’s that there are little things that we can do to just not spread even a cold, not just COVID.”
