The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted in favor of recommending the updated COVID-19 vaccine. This updated vaccine will boost waning immunity and cover the Omnicron variant, including the XBB lineage that is currently circulating. The vaccine, available via Pfizer and Moderna are now available. To locate a convenient vaccination site near you, visit vaccine.gov or talk to your health care provider. The US is currently seeing an uptick in the number of COVID cases, and cases in Kentucky have tripled over the past month. Currently, about 2.5% of all ER visits in Kentucky are due to COVID-19. The updated COVID-19 vaccine will help prevent severe illness, hospitalizations, and the extended illness known as long COVID. The updated COVID-19 vaccine can be obtained at the same time as any other vaccines, including the seasonal flu vaccine. It is recommended that the influenza vaccine be obtained in September or October.
For more information about the updated COVID-19 vaccine, visit CDC COVID-19 Information.