Alabamians urged to get updated COVID-19 booster shots

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Updated COVID-19 booster shots are available across the state. Dr. Wes Stubblefield with the Alabama Department of Public Health said many people have received theirs.

“Although not the numbers that we’d hoped,” Stubblefield added.

He is calling on more people to get this new booster, even those already vaccinated.

The doctor reports over 39,500 doses have been administered, that’s compared to the 6.5 million doses previously given out.

This new booster shot provides additional protection from severe illness.

“This current updated booster contains the genetic information for two different strains of COVID, the original strain, and then the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 strain,” he said.

As temperatures drop for the winter months, more people will gather indoors, meaning respiratory viruses, like COVID, will likely spread.

“Almost all the strains circulating in Alabama are the Omicron strains,” Stubblefield said. “This shot does a better job of protecting against that and then again, severe disease, hospitalization and death.”

There are other respiratory viruses to watch for this time of year like RSV and the flu.

While there is no vaccine for RSV, Stubblefield urges everyone to consider a flu shot.

You can find a COVID-19 or flu vaccine near you by visiting vaccines.gov and entering your zip code.

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