Do you want one other COVID-19 booster? Right here’s what to know.

State well being officers are encouraging Michiganders to remain updated on their COVID-19 vaccines after the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in April introduced new suggestions meant to streamline the vaccine course of and guarantee people are receiving vaccine formulation that may greatest shield towards the ever-mutating virus.

The FDA introduced April 18 that it ended its authorization for the unique vaccine formulation from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna and is now solely approving what’s often known as bivalent COVID vaccines for these ages six months and older. 

The older vaccine formulation had been created from the unique pressure of the virus that causes COVID-19, which circulated broadly to start with of the pandemic, whereas the newer bivalent vaccine system consists of two strains of the virus and is simpler at combating the newer, extra fast-spreading variants.

“Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines supply vital safety from extreme sickness and hospitalizations,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan Division of Well being and Human Companies (MDHHS) chief medical govt, mentioned in an announcement issued Monday. “Updating vaccines is a standard a part of how we deal with and battle illnesses like COVID-19. We encourage all residents to remain updated on all vaccines, together with the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine and boosters.”

Below the brand new FDA pointers, people who had been beforehand vaccinated with the monovalent COVID-19 vaccine – the system that folks obtained when the vaccines initially turned obtainable in late 2020 – and haven’t obtained a bivalent vaccine dose are largely eligible to obtain the up to date system that debuted in 2022. 

To date, just below 17% of Individuals have obtained a bivalent vaccine, based on federal information.

Some people who’ve already obtained a single dose of the bivalent vaccine should not at the moment eligible for one more dose, although those that are immunocompromised and people 65 years of age and older who’ve obtained a single dose of the bivalent vaccine could obtain an extra dose at the least 4 months following their preliminary bivalent shot.

For individuals who have by no means obtained a COVID-19 vaccine, the bivalent shot permits a person to obtain only one shot to be thought-about vaccinated. Initially, people needed to get two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. 

To date, 5.9 million Michiganders have been absolutely vaccinated towards COVID-19 and three.6 million have obtained a COVID-19 booster, in accordance to DHHS information. For individuals who have no idea if they’ve obtained a bivalent vaccine or produce other questions concerning their vaccination standing, state well being officers advisable chatting with their well being care supplier.

COVID-19 has killed 42,749 Michiganders, the DHHS reported. About 3.1 million COVID-19 circumstances have been reported in Michigan since March 2020.