What does it mean if I don’t get side effects after getting my COVID vaccine?
Can an updated COVID vaccine protect against long COVID?
Are the updated COVID vaccines free?
When exactly should I get an updated COVID vaccine?
You can get any of the three updated shots as soon as you’re able to book an appointment, but if you were vaccinated against COVID recently, you’ll want to wait at least two months after your last dose, the FDA says. That way you can maximize the amount of protection you have against the virus.
If you’ve never been vaccinated against COVID, you’ll only need one dose of the updated Pfizer or Moderna shot and two doses of the updated Novavax vaccine taken three weeks apart to be considered “up to date.”
Thinking about waiting until later in the year so your boost of immunity can last a bit longer into the winter season? You probably shouldn’t, Inessa Gendlina, MD, PhD, an infectious disease physician at the Montefiore Health System in New York, tells SELF.
Experts still can’t reliably predict when COVID ebbs and flows like they can for the flu, she says. So you want to give your body enough time to develop fresh immunity to COVID (at least a few weeks after vaccination) before the virus spreads even more in the fall and winter months. Plus, “we’re certainly having a stronger and more prolonged summer wave of COVID right now, so I wouldn’t wait,” says Dr. Gendlina, who’s also an associate professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
And although the virus spreads all year and can spike randomly, Dr. Cohen says that COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths are still the highest in the winter, “so getting the most updated vaccine prior to those months continues to be recommended.”
I recently had COVID. Should I still get an updated COVID vaccine?
Yes! A previous case of COVID, no matter how long ago it was, doesn’t give you lifelong immunity to the virus. That said, you may want to delay vaccination by at least three months if you recently tested positive, the CDC says. The chances you get sick again within that time are slim (but not impossible!) because it takes about that much time for your immunity to wane. So waiting a bit can help you really take advantage of the protection your infection gave you.
If you have a weakened immune system, live with someone who’s vulnerable to severe COVID, or there’s a surge of infections in your area, the CDC says you could get the updated vaccine a little sooner if you’d like.
Can I get the COVID and flu shots at the same time?
Yes, you can—and you should, Dr. Gendlina says. Not only is it perfectly safe to do so, but it’s also more convenient to make one appointment and get them both out of the way. (In fact, a combination vaccine for both viruses is currently in the works.)
Dr. Gendlina says it doesn’t matter if you choose to get both pokes in the same or different arms. But if you know you’re prone to soreness, then you may want to get the vaccines on separate arms, or at least on your nondominant one, so your pain isn’t too intense.
And while we’re on the topic, you can also get a single dose of the RSV vaccine with your COVID and flu shots, the CDC says. (The RSV jab is a one-and-done deal, so you don’t need to get it annually!) The shot is recommended for all adults ages 75 and older and for those ages 60–74 who are at high risk of severe RSV, which is a common respiratory virus that can be especially dangerous for babies and older adults.
