The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE) is asking eligible residents to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations by getting one of the newly approved booster vaccines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new recommendations for COVID-19 boosters after the FDA authorized updated booster formulas from both Pfizer and Moderna. The boosters can be given at least 2 months after a person’s last COVID-19 shot—either since their last booster dose, or since completing their primary series. Pfizer’s updated booster shot is recommended for individuals 12 and older, and Moderna’s updated booster shot is recommended for adults 18 and older.

In Larimer County 247,878 residents, or approximately 70%, are fully vaccinated, making them, according to health officials, far less likely to suffer from serious COVID-19 illness and hospitalization. The new boosters contain an updated bivalent formula that both boosts immunity against the original coronavirus strain and reportedly protects against the newer Omicron variants that account for most of the current cases. Updated boosters are intended to provide optimal protection against the virus and address waning vaccine effectiveness over time.

“We’re no longer helpless against this virus. Today, easy access to testing, treatment, and vaccines are making COVID-19 a preventable and treatable illness. The new boosters will provide those already vaccinated with another layer of protection as we head into the fall and winter months when respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, become more prevalent,” says Paul Mayer, Medical Officer for LCDHE.

Eligible individuals can get either the Pfizer or Moderna updated booster, regardless of whether their primary series or most recent dose was with Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. LCDHE encourages residents with questions to talk with their healthcare provider about COVID-19 vaccines.

Novavax is the latest vaccine to be approved by the FDA. Novavax uses older technology and is a protein subunit vaccine that contains pieces (proteins) of the virus that causes COVID-19. These virus pieces are the spike protein. The vaccine also contains another ingredient called an adjuvant that helps the immune system respond to that spike protein in the future. According to information from the CDC, once the immune system knows how to respond to the spike protein, the immune system will be able to respond quickly to the actual virus spike protein and protect you against COVID-19. Pfizer and Moderna both utilize newer technology in the form of mRNA created in a laboratory to teach cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response.

The full series of vaccines for Novavax approved for those 12 years and older includes two shots, three to eight weeks apart followed by the Omicron booster 8 weeks after that.

The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, along with many local vaccine providers, will be offering the new booster doses. For more information, visit www.larimer.gov/covidvaccine.