As the numbers of COVID cases creep up to an alarming number, doctors and other medical workers try their best to enforce and provide the right vaccines for people of all ages.

Many people have raised concerns and questions about the booster vaccine and what it contains.

The CDC website states, “Data Supporting Need for a Booster Shot; Studies show after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, protection against the virus and the ability to prevent infection with variants may decrease over time and due to changes in variants.”

Analyzing what the CDC recommends, people should be encouraged to get the booster vaccine. 

Along with new variants of COVID being spread across the globe, the CDC recommends that the vaccine can help prevent the severity of these new variants. 

“The recent emergence of the Omicron variant further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19. Data from clinical trials showed that a booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series 6 months earlier or who received a J&J/Janssen single-dose vaccine 2 months earlier. With an increased immune response, people should have improved protection against getting infected with COVID-19. For Pfizer-BioNTech and J&J/Janssen, clinical trials also showed that a booster shot helped prevent severe disease.”

Along with other questions, many people ask when the right time or age should get the vaccine/ booster shot. According to the CDC website, this is what they suggest: 

“IF YOU RECEIVED: Pfizer-BioNTech

• Who should get a booster:
  • Adults 18 years and older

• Who may get a booster:
  • Teens 16-17 years old

• When to get a booster:
  • At least 6 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series

• Which booster can you get:
  • Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) are preferred in most* situations
  • Teens 16–17 years old may get a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster

IF YOU RECEIVED; Moderna

• Which booster can you get:
  • Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) are preferred in most* situations
• Who should get a booster:
  • Adults 18 years and older
• When to get a booster:

• At least 6 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series

• Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) are preferred in most* situations

IF YOU RECEIVED; Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen*

• Who should get a booster:
  • Adults 18 years and older
• When to get a booster:
  • At least 2 months after receiving your J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccination
• Which booster can you get:
  • Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) are preferred in most* situations
    • *Although mRNA vaccines are preferred, J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine may be considered in some situations