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Director of public health promotes covid booster vaccines
Published on Friday, September 16, 2022 at 9:00 am
The return of everything pumpkin-flavored heralds the return of fall, and with fall comes the return of cooler weather. And in cold weather comes the return of vaccination season.
Sue Yost
In addition to flu shots, it will mark the second time this year that Covid incentives have been available.
Sue Yost, Freeborn County public health director and community health services administrator, said anyone who received their last covid booster two months ago should strongly consider getting another one. Boosters were part of the covid vaccine as well as the Omicron vaccine. She also said that the Covid booster shots can be similar to regular flu shots: a yearly drop-off event and are used to “re-boost the system” and remind the body to protect you.
This year’s incentive differs from last year’s in its dual nature. According to the FDA, bivalent includes the mRNA of the original strain and helps to mount an immune response against the mRNA portion between the covid and omicron variants.
Pfizer Booster is available to people 12 and older, while Moderna is available to people 18 and older.
And given that people who get their first vaccination are less likely to get seriously ill, it would be good if they get more vaccinations to avoid getting sick from the Omicron difference and getting sick in the hospital. Because older booster shots didn’t contain Omicron, they didn’t stop people from taking Omicron.
“The new booster has Omicron in it,” she said. “None of the previous boosters have had anything against the Omicron variant, and yes, they should definitely consider getting boosters.”
On another note, Yost said this year’s flu season could be bad.
“It’s my understanding that in the southern hemisphere, where Australia is, they’ve had a really bad flu season,” she said. “Typically if they have a bad flu season, that goes to the northern hemisphere when we have our flu season.
“So my prediction is there’s a very good chance we’re going to have a really bad flu season.”
But make no mistake: Covid is not the same as the flu.
“Covid, they found, affects all the body’s systems, and it can affect the heart, it can damage the lungs and it can cause permanent damage,” she said. “You get the cold, the flu, the pain and then you get over it completely.”
Annual covid boosters can help prevent covid in the first place, which can cause persistent, long-lasting covid that affects a person for the rest of their life. Getting boosters can help a person with Covid avoid exposing themselves to people with weakened immune systems.
She also explained that people can get flu and covid vaccines at the same time, especially in different arms.
Yost said Covid incentives are available at Hy-Vee and Walgreens. Anyone interested can call the Mayo Clinic Albert Lea Pharmacy. Freeborn County Public Health booster shots are available starting next week (the week of September 19). People should call their pharmacies to confirm availability.
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