COVID-19 vaccines are having a moment. The 2024-2025 vaccine is fully approved by the FDA and CDC and is headed to pharmacies, doctors’ offices, and, yes, health departments near you. Get to know this year’s version of the vaccine before you schedule an appointment.
Who should get the vaccine?
The 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine is for everyone ages 6 months and up! Right now, the CDC recommends that most people over 4 years of age will only need one dose of this new vaccine; you can find more information about number of doses for younger children at CDC’s website.
Is this vaccine a booster?
Nope! The great thing about this year’s vaccine is that it protects against the variants of COVID-19 we see most often today. So whether you’ve had many COVID-19 vaccines and boosters through the years or you’ve had one or none, this vaccine can help protect you!
What if I’ve had COVID-19 or a different COVID-19 vaccine recently?
CDC says you may wait 3 months after you’ve had COVID-19 to get this new vaccine. You should wait 2 months after having the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine to get this one. These decisions might look a little different for each person based on their health risks and fall plans, so talk about your options with a care provider.
Okay, I’m ready to protect myself and the people around me! Where do I go to get a vaccine of my own?
There are lots of places where you can find a vaccine:
- Vaccines.gov can help you find a pharmacy near you currently taking appointments for flu, COVID-19 and other vaccines.
- Virginia Vaccines for Children (VVFC) providers offer free immunizations to children (younger than 19 years of age) who are uninsured or underinsured; Medicaid-eligible or Medicaid-enrolled; and/or American Indian or Alaska Native. Families can search for a VVFC provider near them using rhhd.gov/vfc.
- Virginia Vaccines for Adults (VVFA) providers offer free immunizations to adults who are uninsured or underinsured. People receiving VVFA immunizations may be required to pay an admin fee, usually between $10 and $20. Adults can search for a VVFA provider near them using rhhd.gov/vfa.
RHHD will announce our COVID-19 vaccine appointments when they become available this month. We are looking forward to helping residents protect themselves against respiratory viruses!
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