(KTTS News) — The updated COVID-19 vaccine will be available in the Springfield area.
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department will be following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC has authorized a second booster shot of the bivalent vaccine, and it will be available in the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
The updated vaccine is recommended for people 65 and older and for people with weakened immune systems.
You can get more information at vaccine417.com.
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On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized a second booster shot of the updated COVID-19 vaccine for adults 65 years and older and those with weakened immunity. This additional booster shot can be received four months after receiving the first updated booster for most eligible adults, with immunocompromised adults able to receive it after two months.
Additionally, a simplified vaccination schedule using the updated COVID-19 vaccine, often referred to as the bivalent vaccine, was approved. The updated vaccine, which has now fully replaced the original or monovalent vaccine, is more effective at combating COVID-19 in its current forms. Springfield-Greene County Health will immediately implement this updated guidance at all upcoming vaccination opportunities. Now, all doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, available will be the updated, more effective vaccine.
Most people older than five years who have not received any COVID-19 vaccines can now receive one dose of the updated vaccine rather than multiple doses of the original vaccine. Parents of children six months to five years old, those who are immunocompromised and those with additional questions about when they should receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can visit vaccine417.com or call the COVID-19 Call Center at 417-864-1211 for more information.
The Health Department continues to encourage everyone to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. This is the best way to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Anyone eligible for any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that receives it from the Health Department will receive a $50 gift card. A photo ID is required in order to receive a gift card, but one is not required to get vaccinated. Gift cards are only available while supplies last and less than 150 remain as of April 19. Help keep the spread of the virus low by going to vaccine417.com to find a vaccination opportunity that works for you.
