Most people age 50 and older who got their second booster shot did so fairly quickly after federal authorities gave the green light at the end of March. One of the few hard-and-fast rules when it comes to timing is that someone must be at least two months away from their last vaccination or booster dose before getting the updated booster.īut even then, some experts suggest people should wait longer - at least three months - before getting the new booster, as doing so could provide better longer-term protection. But the agency also said other factors could alter that timing, such as the level of COVID-19 in the community and the person’s risk factors for severe disease. The CDC suggests waiting three months after testing positive or the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, whichever came first, before getting the updated booster. Modeling studies indicate that distributing boosters starting this month could prevent 137,000 more hospitalizations and 9,700 more deaths compared with beginning a booster campaign in November.Īnother wrinkle to consider is when a person was last infected with the coronavirus. Officials have pointed out that the decision to make the updated COVID-19 booster available in September is expected to reduce hospitalizations and deaths. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “vaccination should ideally be offered during September or October.” Some have suggested that one ideal time to get the flu shot is mid- to late October. Get it too late and you risk being exposed without any protection. Getting the annual shot too early may lead to its peak effectiveness waning before the end of flu season. The question of how best to time a vaccine isn’t unique to COVID-19. If someone is about to embark on a trip abroad or head to a big event where there’s an elevated risk of exposure, getting boosted at least two weeks in advance could help reduce the likelihood of infection. Last year, cases began spiking in December.Īlong with individual risk factors, a person’s plans also may play a role in their booster timing. Peter Chin-Hong.ĭuring the pandemic’s first fall-and-winter wave, coronavirus cases in California began increasing in November and accelerated sharply in December. Peak effectiveness of the omicron booster will likely be in the four or five months following the shot, with the maximum one month after the injection, according to UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert Dr. #Los angeles times crossword editor full#Whenever you roll up your sleeve, it’s important to note that it takes two weeks for the full effect of the booster to hit. “While some may choose to wait for cases to begin ticking up later in the fall, ‘timing the market’ usually doesn’t work,” he tweeted. Robert Wachter, chair of the University of California, San Francisco’s Department of Medicine, said getting the new booster “as soon as eligible seems like a pretty straightforward call to me.” “I wouldn’t delay for people who are at high risk.”ĭr. “Older people remain at high risk,” she said. And I might wait.’ For people who are in relatively good health and younger, that may be an appropriate assessment,” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.īut she urged residents at higher risk for severe COVID-19 to get the new booster right away. “We do hear from people who say, ‘You know, I want to maximize my protection for the late fall and the winter holidays in particular. But others say it’s best not to delay, especially with the potential for another coronavirus rebound this fall and winter. For those at lower risk of exposure or developing severe disease, holding off could make sense, according to some experts. The short answer is it depends - both on whom you’re asking and what factors might heighten your chance of serious health impacts.
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