Tanana Chiefs is encouraging those who are eligible to book an appointment to get their 2023-2024 COVID vaccine.
Although COVID-19 might not be as scary as it once was, it is still making people very sick, putting some patients in hospital, and causing long-term health complications and even death. The United States is currently averaging about 1,500 deaths per week that are attributable to COVID-19.
What You Need to Know
- CDC recommends the 2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness from COVID-19.
- Everyone aged 5 years and older should get 1 dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness from COVID-19.
- Children aged 6 months – 4 years need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be up to date, including at least 1 dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get additional doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- People who are up to date have lower risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than people who are unvaccinated or who have not completed the doses recommended for them by CDC.
- The 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccine more closely targets the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant and could restore protection against severe COVID-19 that may have decreased over time
Common Questions
I had COVID-19, should I still get the updated vaccine?
Yes. The vaccine strengthens your body’s defenses against COVID-19 to help prevent severe illness and hospitalization, including for those who have previously had COVID-19. If you recently had COVID-19, we recommend waiting 90 days from first symptoms or first positive test to get your COVID-19 vaccination.
What can I expect for possible vaccine reactions?
Pain, swelling, or redness where the shot is given, fever, headache, chills, tiredness (fatigue), muscle pain, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and swollen lymph nodes can happen after COVID-19 vaccination. Myocarditis and pericarditis have been seen rarely after COVID-19 vaccination, most commonly in males 12 through 39 years of age. The chance of this occurring is low.
Staying up to date on your vaccinations provides strong protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Omicron subvariants are predicted to continue to circulate in coming months here in Alaska, and improving protection is vital. If you are immunocompromised, elderly, or very young- you are at higher risk for severe disease and at risk for complications. Vaccines for all patients 6 months and older remain readily available and free of cost at TCC.
Call the Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center at 907-451-6682 or your local clinic to book an appointment.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/interim-considerations-us.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/COVID-19.html
SPIKEVAX Prescribing Information. 9/2023.