Now that officials have approved newly-formulated COVID vaccine, you might be wanting to make an appointment to get the updated shot. You also may be wondering: Where did I put my vaccine card?
The updated shot, approved earlier this week by both the Federal Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is formulated differently than previous vaccines, with the new booster targeting a specific strain of the virus that is responsible for almost 90% of the subvariants currently circulating across the country, officials said.
"We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from Covid-19," the CDC's director, Dr. Mandy Cohen, said statement. "CDC is now recommending updated COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older to better protect you and your loved ones."
Those individuals who haven’t received a booster since last fall -- and who haven’t had a recent COVID infection --should get the new booster shots as soon as possible, according to experts.
Those who are unvaccinated can also get the booster without completing the multi-dose primary series beforehand, according to the new FDA guidance.
Those who have recently had COVID may wait approximately 90 days to maximize the effectiveness of the new booster, according to officials.
However, if you don't remember when your last COVID shot was -- or you've misplaced your original COVID vaccine card, you can check your Illinois vaccine record using the Illinois Department of Health's "Vax Verify" system.
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Following a registration and verification process, Illinois residents through the "Verify Vax" portal can check their immunization record, including their most recent COVID shots.
From there, residents can access their "SMART Health Card" which contains their COVID vaccine record. Residents can then save the record to a mobile device via QR code.
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More information on the new COVID vaccine, and where to get it can be found here.
