Michigan prepares for new COVID variant booster vaccine

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - New COVID boosters are expected to provide another line of protection.

The Pfizer booster is available to those 12 and older, the Moderna booster is available for those 18 and older.

Sept. 6, 2022: Michigan reports 15,854 new cases, 83 deaths over past 7 days

The bivalent boosters target the original variants, as well as omicron sub variants BA.4 and BA.5.

People who have been boosted recently should wait two months - longer if they have had the actual disease.

“It is not for individuals who had COVID-19 in the last three months, that’s one more additional caveat to be aware of,” said Dr. Michael Zaroukian, with Sparrow Health System. “Because those individuals almost certainly had the Omicron BA.4, BA.5, variant and so they will have immunity for a few months and so the vaccine will actually work better for them if it’s been at least three months since they had their infection.”

Related: Health officials encourage people to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters

Zaroukian, Sparrow’s chief medical information officer, said the new boosters will reduce your chances of serious illness or hospitalization.

“The vast majority of people, if they have any side affects at all, it’ll be that expected sore arm from the immune reaction that’s going on,” Zaroukian said.

Other symptoms can include body aches, fevers or chills that last a few days.

Julie Holton, who has been vaccinated four times, plans to get the new booster as soon as possible.

“I’m trying to do everything I can to keep myself and my family healthy and be around for the people that need me,” Holton said. “My job ain’t done yet, by any means, it’s not done.”

Sparrow said the state has already begun to distribute nearly 200,000 doses and should roll out to vaccination sites in the coming days.

To find a vaccination site near you, visit the official Sparrow Health System’s website here.

More: Health news

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