1. Everybody 5 years and older ought to get no less than one dose of an up to date Covid vaccine to be updated

• Kids ages 5–11 who’re both unvaccinated or had a Covid vaccine earlier than September 12, 2023, ought to obtain one up to date Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Covid vaccine.

• Anybody 12 years and older who’s unvaccinated ought to obtain both one dose of the up to date Pfizer-BioNTech or up to date Moderna vaccine or two doses of the up to date Novavax vaccine.
• Anybody 12 years and older who had any vaccine earlier than September 12, 2023, ought to get one dose of any of the three up to date vaccines.

2. Infants and younger youngsters have totally different suggestions

Kids from 6 months by 4 years can obtain the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. In the event that they’ve by no means been vaccinated, they’ll want two or three doses, relying on the vaccine. In the event that they obtained a earlier vaccine, they’ll want one or two doses based mostly on the primary vaccine. There’s presently no Covid vaccine authorised for youngsters youthful than 6 months.

3. You possibly can combine Covid vaccines

Your subsequent shot doesn’t must be the identical model or the identical kind as your final one. Which means for those who’ve already been vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna), you will get a protein-based vaccine (Novavax) in your subsequent shot and vice versa.

Learn: Understanding the Completely different Varieties of Covid-19 Vaccines >>

4. Sure, you will get the Covid, RSV and flu vaccines all on the similar time

In case you are eligible to obtain the Covid, RSV and flu vaccines, it’s protected to get all of them at one time, though every shot is given individually.

5. You must nonetheless get vaccinated even for those who’ve had Covid earlier than

In case you’ve had a confirmed case of Covid, it’s best to nonetheless get an up to date vaccine to assist shield your self in opposition to the virus. Analysis exhibits that individuals who didn’t get an up to date vaccine after recovering from Covid had been extra prone to get Covid once more in comparison with individuals who did get a vaccine after recovering from Covid.

You don’t have to attend a sure period of time to get the vaccine after getting Covid, however the CDC notes that for those who desire, you may wait three months after your an infection earlier than getting vaccinated as a result of you might have some immunity for that size of time from having had the virus. Individuals who have had a confirmed case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) ought to wait 90 days following prognosis to get the vaccine.

6. Covid mRNA vaccines can not alter human DNA

There are two kinds of Covid vaccines: protein-based vaccines and mRNA vaccines. The protein-based vaccine (Novavax) makes use of a small innocent piece of the virus to assist your immune system acknowledge and combat the virus. The mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) use messenger RNA, a small particle that teaches cells to make a bit of the vaccine, to supply safety in opposition to the virus.

Neither kind of vaccine can change your DNA as a result of neither can get into the nucleus of a cell, the place DNA is saved. Additionally, the messenger RNA isn’t saved in your physique. The mRNA vaccine does its job by giving your immune system directions, after which it breaks down and disappears.

Get details about Covid vaccines from trusted sources

In the case of Covid, there’s a number of info and misinformation on the market. You should have your questions answered and your issues addressed by dependable sources you may belief.

In case you can, begin by speaking to a healthcare supplier (HCP) about any questions or issues you might have. And for those who’re answerable for a liked one’s care and so they have questions, hear them out and share sources with them to assist them decide with you.

You may get dependable info from official sources for well being info, just like the CDC and the World Well being Group (WHO).

This instructional useful resource was created with help from Novavax.