Yellowhammer Times

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) encourages the public to get vaccinated or boosted against the COVID-19 virus, get flu shots, take prevention measures, and seek healthcare guidance when sick during the holiday season.

The updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster which protects against contagious omicron COVID-19 variants is now authorized for children ages 6 months and older. This authorization comes at a time when influenza-like activity is very high in the state and hospitals are overcrowded with patients with respiratory illnesses. The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in Alabama was 10 percent on December 12, an increase from 4.5 percent on November 13.

ADPH advises parents to discuss COVID-19 vaccination for their children with their healthcare provider. In addition to reducing COVID-19 disease or severe outcomes in vaccinated children, getting vaccinated reduces the chance of transmission of the virus to other people, including family members and friends who may be more susceptible to severe consequences of the infection. Having your children vaccinated means they are less likely to become infected and can continue participating in school and other activities.

The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance is as follows:

• A recommendation for children ages 6 months–4 years who complete a Moderna primary series to receive one bivalent Moderna booster dose at least 2 months after completion of the primary series.
• Children age 5 years who complete a Moderna primary series may receive either the previously authorized bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose or the newly authorized bivalent Moderna booster dose at least 2 months after completion of the Moderna primary series.
• The previously authorized 3-dose Pfizer-BioNTech primary series for children ages 6 months–4 years has been revised as follows: a monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is administered for the first and second doses, followed by 1 bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as the third primary series dose, at least 8 weeks after the second monovalent primary series dose. A booster dose is not authorized for children in this age group who receive a Pfizer-BioNTech 3-dose primary series, including children who previously received a 3-dose monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.

If you are hesitant about getting a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, please discuss this with your healthcare provider. The sooner you are vaccinated, the sooner you are afforded protection. To find COVID-19 vaccination locations near you, search vaccines.gov, text your zip code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.

Information about recommended COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for all ages is available at the following website: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html

For more information, go to alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19.

Original source can be found here.