Vaccines and Testing
While COVID-19 has become less of a threat than in previous years, it’s largely thanks to our community’s immunity built through vaccines, boosters and prior infection, which prevent serious disease and death from COVID-19.
COVID-19 Vaccines
To continue on this path, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention is urging people to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, including the updated bivalent booster.
Learn More About Bivalent Boosters
The CDC offers specific recommendations for staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines according to age group, as well as for those with significantly compromised immune systems.
In general, people 12 years and older should receive their updated bivalent booster two months after their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, regardless of whether it was part of their primary series or a previous booster.
If you’ve recently recovered from the virus, you’ll likely have strong natural immunity for at least the next 90 days and can wait three months from the onset of symptoms (or your first positive test if you had no symptoms) to receive the updated booster.
COVID-19 Testing
As soon as someone you are living with begins to experience symptoms of COVID-19, it’s important that they get tested and start isolating.
Don’t wait until after the results come back to isolate. Growing evidence suggests that those who have the virus are most contagious one to two days before and two to three days after starting to experience symptoms.
If their test is positive, the person with COVID should continue to isolate for at least five days after the onset of their symptoms. Individuals who are asymptomatic and test positive should isolate for at least five days from the date of the positive test.
