DOVER, Del. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone six months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the illness this fall and winter.
According to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, this comes after the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency authorization of the the updated Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.
According to the center, vaccines are still the best way to protect against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death, as well as reducing the chance of suffering from long covid.
The department says the vaccines will soon be available at pharmacies, health care providers, state public health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and other facilities. They say the vaccine will be free, either through insurance or the State of Delaware's Immunization Program. The department also says that children participating in the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program will also be able to receive the updated vaccines.
The FDA has outlined the following brief guidelines for the updated COVID-19 vaccines to simplify the questions regarding whom should receive the vaccine and when:
- People 5 years of age and older regardless of previous vaccination are eligible to receive a single dose of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months since the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
- Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to receive one or two doses of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).
- Unvaccinated children 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to receive three doses of the updated authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or two doses of the updated authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
As the fall and winter season approach, the Division of Public Health is reminding everyone to take appropriate measures to protect themselves and those around them from respiratory illnesses.
According to the division, the four general guidelines for staying safe this fall and winter include:
- Get vaccinated when eligible for any and all illnesses where available and recommended by a provider.
- Stay home if sick with any illness. Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms or were exposed to someone with COVID-19.
- Inquire about treatment for COVID-19 or other illnesses if you are sick.
- Consider wearing a mask in crowded indoor places, as cases rise, or if you or a family member are at higher risk for serious illness.
To learn more, you can visit de.gov/coronavirus and de.gov/covidvaccine.