Why is a booster shot necessary

Do I need a Booster? The boosters are available to anyone age 65 and older who received those vaccines and others 18 and older who qualify based on their health history, living situation and employment. This means:. After getting vaccinated for COVID, you might experience some temporary symptoms similar to those you might notice when you get a flu shot, such as a sore, swollen arm where you got the shot.

You might run a fever and experience body aches, headaches and tiredness for a day or two. Chills, swollen lymph nodes can also occur. These symptoms do not mean you are sick. They signal that your immune system is responding to the shots and building up protection against the coronavirus.

Please check your state or local resources. Retail pharmacies, mobile vaccination clinics walk-up and state and local vaccination sites offer booster appointments.

Some locations may offer walk-up vaccination times. An additional dose, originally called a third dose, is given to people with moderately or severely compromised immune systems to improve their response to the initial vaccine series. A COVID booster is given when a person has completed their vaccine series, and protection against the virus has decreased over time. Depending on the original series you had, some details will vary. Q: Who is eligible for a third shot or booster right now?

People Who Are Immunocompromised. A person is considered immunocompromised if he or she: Is actively being treated for solid tumor or blood-related malignancies Has received a solid-organ transplant and is taking immunosuppressive medications Has received a CAR T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant in the last two years Is actively being treated with certain immunosuppressive medications, including high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, TNF blockers and other biologic agents that immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory Has a moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency, such as DiGeorge and Wiskott-Aldrich syndromes Has advanced or untreated HIV infection.

Visit the CDC's website for a detailed list of high risk conditions. Stay up-to-date. By signing up, you will receive our newsletter with articles, videos, health tips and more.

Q: Why aren't boosters available to everyone? Q: Is it important for your third shot or booster to match the original vaccine you received? Or can you mix and match?