The statement below is by Commissioner Virginia Betteridge on the CDC’s recommendation of administering new COVID-19 boosters for everyone ages 5 and older
“It was recently announced that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has decided to expand the use of the updated COVID-19 bivalent booster shots to include everyone ages 5 and older. Now, children ages 5 and older can receive their COVID-19 bivalent booster dose two months after their most recent booster or the completion of their primary vaccine series. And these boosters specifically target both the original COVID-19 strain as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants that we’ve seen dominating cases recently.
This is a wonderful development as these boosters are safe and effective in preventing serious illness and death from the COVID-19 virus. Being up to date on your vaccination series can make a huge difference and we strongly encourage all our residents to get vaccinated and boosted. During this time of the year, the weather is getting colder and we’re spending more time indoors, which means there are a lot more opportunities to contract COVID-19. But thanks to the help of these boosters, the illness will be much less severe which is something we can all be grateful for. With the holidays rapidly approaching, its crucial that you and your loved ones are fully vaccinated so that we can gather, worry free.
The bivalent boosters are available at the Camden County Health Hub in Blackwood which is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can make an appointment at the Camden County Health Hub by visiting www.CamdenCountyVaccine.com.”