This Is Who Really Needs To Get the New COVID Booster, According to an Immunologist
We've come a long way since the dark days of 2020, but as fall approaches, COVID cases are back on the rise thanks to the new Eris variant. As we make our flu shot appointments, many of us are pausing as we try to figure out if we should get the new COVID booster too, which targets the latest variant.
While health departments in some states are saying only people over 65 need to get it, not everyone is in agreement with this: The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older be boosted with the new vaccine. So who actually needs to get it? What are the benefits, and are there any risks involved? Parade talked to an immunologist and preventative medicine expert—here's what they had to say.
What Makes the New COVID Booster Different?
Dr. Kristen Hokeness, who has a Ph.D. in virology and immunology, explains that the new booster is a monovalent booster, which means that it contains antigens (the parts of the vaccine that stimulate antibody production) for just one strain of COVID. "They are now targeting the dominant XBB subvariant family particularly, XBB.1.5," she explains. "This is different from previous boosters which were bivalent and contained antigens from the original COVID strain and the Omicron strain."
This is helpful and a likely improvement in two ways. "First, the strains that are currently circulating and are predicted to continue to circulate fall into this family. So, we should get good protection from it," she says. "Second, the monovalent vaccine allows the body to focus on producing one robust antibody response to the Omicron variants that we want to target. With the old method, there is some competition between the older strain and the newer strain in your body. If you had some level of antibody production from previous infections of vaccines, the body remembers that and often will produce a more vigorous response to that one as opposed to the newer variant."
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Should I Get the New COVID Booster?
Dr. Tamara Sheffield, MD, MPH and Senior Medical Director of Preventive Medicine at Intermountain Health says it's not a great idea to only get the new booster if you're over 65.
"We continue to see hospitalizations and deaths in all age groups," she explains. "In fact, half of the children who have been hospitalized recently are previously healthy children with no risk factors."
Related: The One Simple Thing Could Make Your COVID Vaccine More Effective
Dr. Hokeness agrees, saying, "Yes, the vaccine is particularly important for those who fall into high-risk categories (over 65, immunocompromised), but it is also important for those who have not contracted the virus recently or have not gotten the booster since last fall."
However, she says, everyone should consider getting the booster. "People who receive the booster exhibit symptoms that are less severe and last for a shorter period of time if they do get sick," she explains. "If you can limit your threat and severity of illness, including the potential to exacerbate long COVID symptoms, it should be considered a major benefit to get it. It will also help to protect the population at large by limiting the spread of the virus."
Related: Here's What a COVID Sore Throat Feels Like—and How It Compares to Other Types of Sore Throats
Downsides To Getting the Booster
Other than classic, short-lived vaccine side effects like a sore arm, fever and chills (and many people don't experience these!) both Dr. Hokeness and Dr. Sheffield say there isn't a downside to getting the new booster. "As with any vaccine, there is some risk of side effects, but the COVID vaccine has proven to be low-risk with mild side effects," Dr. Sheffiled says. "The risk of side effects—and their severity—are much lower, however, than the risks associated with severe illness from COVID-19 infection."
Next up: Here's What You Can Expect COVID Symptoms to Look Like Day by Day
Sources
Florida's health department touts its own COVID booster recommendation. NPR.
CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall/Winter Virus Season. CDC.
Dr. Tamara Sheffield, MD, MPH and Senior Medical Director of Preventive Medicine at Intermountain Health
