The bivalent COVID-19 booster shot was recently authorized for children as young as 6 months, meaning the updated vaccine is now available to almost all age groups. The bivalent vaccine has two parts: the original vaccine, plus a new vaccine that provides coverage against the omicron variant. We talked to UNC Health pediatric infectious diseases…
Editor’s note: This article originally ran September 6, 2022, and was updated October 17 to reflect the expansion of the bivalent vaccines to children ages 5 and older. It’s been a long slog that isn’t over yet—as temperatures begin to fall, cases of COVID-19 are expected to rise. Fortunately, updated vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, giving millions of kids the opportunity for increased protection against COVID-19. This booster dose would be given five months after the second dose in the initial two-shot series. We asked UNC Health…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends certain groups receive a second COVID-19 booster shot. This means that if someone had previously received three Moderna or Pfizer shots, they can now get a fourth shot. For those who received two Johnson & Johnson shots, or a Johnson & Johnson shot and a…
Editor’s note: This article originally ran October 26, 2021, and was updated November 22, 2021, January 10, 2022, May 2, 2022 and May 20,2022, to reflect updated public health guidance. COVID-19 booster shots remain incredibly important as the pandemic continues, with case counts ebbing and flowing and new variants expected. People who are vaccinated and…
Editor’s note: This article originally ran October 3, 2021, and was updated January 10, 2022, to reflect updated public health guidance. When you look at the scientific data—and our country’s lived reality—there is no debate: COVID-19 vaccines work. The overwhelming majority of people who have been hospitalized with or died from COVID-19 over the past…
Editor’s note: This article originally ran December 3, 2021, and was updated January 10, 2022, to reflect updated public health guidance. Pregnancy is all about timing: when you ovulate, when you conceive, your first, second and third trimesters, your due date. So when should pregnant women or women trying to conceive receive their COVID-19 booster…
Editors note: For the latest guidance on boosters, see “Simplifying Boosters: How to Know When to Get One.” A much larger swath of the population recently became eligible for COVID-19 vaccine boosters, but you need to meet certain criteria to get this supplemental third shot. First, you have to have received the second dose of…
Editor’s note: This article originally ran June 14, 2021, and was updated January 26, 2023. Part of living through a pandemic is the reality that doctors and researchers learn about the virus in real time. Recommendations change and knowledge evolves. Thankfully for pregnant women, the answer to an earlier question has become clear: Should pregnant…
Editor’s note: This article originally ran Jan. 5, 2022 and was updated Dec. 20, 2022. If your New Year’s resolutions include getting into better shape or exercising more, one of the first steps toward meeting your goal may be finding a gym or fitness center. A gym can be a big investment, so you want…
Editor’s note: This article originally ran Aug. 30, 2021 and was updated Sept. 4, 2022 and Dec. 13, 2022. This winter is shaping up to be a doozy when it comes to infectious respiratory viruses: COVID-19, RSV and the flu. But other than a COVID-19 booster and washing your hands a lot, what can you…
In recent years, the most wonderful time of the year became … complicated. In 2020, it was safest to stay apart from family and friends. In 2021, the availability of COVID-19 vaccines made gathering safer, but the highly contagious omicron variant was roaring to life. This year, most people have returned to a largely normal…
