It’s fall y’all. With the return of sweater weather, pumpkin spice, and the holiday onslaught, it’s also time to think about updating your vaccinations. Correctly timing your COVID vaccine booster can help keep serious illness at bay. And with so many funny family holidays on the horizon, staying well is top of mind for many.
Costi Sifri, MD, an infectious disease expert with UVA Health, shares what everyone should know about COVID boosters this year.
What’s the status of COVID in Albemarle and the surrounding counties?
While individual COVID cases are no longer tracked, we can gauge status based on:
- Patients hospitalized with COVID
- People calling in to their primary care provider
- State/regional wastewater testing
And these measures are as high as they were at the peak of COVID last winter.
What should people know about the current COVID variants?
Over time, viruses mutate. But the originals remain in circulation. This creates "variants." Immunity to one variant doesn't guarantee immunity to another. This creates new waves.
“Think of it like rock climbing,” Sifri says. “Antigens are hand holds, and antibodies attach to the hand holds. The virus has to get around it by changing hand holds. This change in hand holds loosens the grip of the spike protein to the receptor.”
Past variants included Delta and Omicron. Currently, FLiRT variants are dominating.
Are FLiRT symptoms much different than what we’ve seen before?
No, there’s no significant changes. If anything, COVID seems to be getting milder. This could be because more people are fully vaccinated. More people have also had multiple infections.
So, with all these peaks, when should people get their COVID vaccine booster?
Sifri lays out two options.
Get Your Booster Now
If you’re high risk, getting your booster now will protect you through the surge.
Get Your Booster Mid-October
Waiting till mid-October makes sense if you’re not high-risk or getting additional exposure from back-to-school.
A mid-October immunization offers improved immunity through the winter. It’s also the better option if you just had COVID this summer and still have natural immunity.
But from your immunization date, it’ll take about two weeks to see full protection.
Trying to Schedule Vaccination Appointments?
UVA Health's pharmacies have the latest booster and can offer vaccinations for anyone ages 12 and up. For younger patients, schedule with your pediatrician.
Can people schedule their COVID and flu vaccine at the same time?
The guidance on this hasn’t changed, Sifri says. Last year, most experts recommended that people get them at the same time. Essentially, that’s because there’s no reason not to and many people have a hard time keeping multiple appointments.
Save yourself a trip, just get both at once.
When should people test?
If you have signs or symptoms consistent with COVID, test. Sifri adds, “Also, remember we have effective therapeutics. If you’re high risk, you can’t use them unless you have confirmed COVID.”
Resources for More Information:
- Get free COVID tests.
- If your COVID symptoms don’t go away, you may have long Covid. Ask your doctor for a referral to the Long COVID Clinic.
- Learn how to care for a COVID infection at home.
- If you’ve tested positive and want to talk to your doctor about therapeutics, you can also schedule a virtual visit.
