The Fairfax Health Department – which is the City’s health department – announced that anyone 6 months and older who has gone more than 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccination is eligible for the new COVID-19 shot.

These updated vaccines target the current variants that are and are similar to earlier COVID-19 vaccines which were safely administered to hundreds of millions of Americans during the pandemic.

The updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine is arriving just in time for Fall and Winter when respiratory viruses like COVID-19, flu, and RSV spread. In our area, we have already seen an increase in COVID-19 illness in recent weeks including more COVID-19 hospitalizations, increases in the percent of emergency department visits with COVID-19, and more COVID-19 outbreaks reported.

Staying up to date and getting the new, updated vaccine is important. The virus continues to evolve and protection against it from previous vaccination decreases over time. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19. Getting vaccinated also reduces your chances of getting long COVID, which can last weeks, months, and even years, after initial illness.