New COVID-19 boosters are arriving in New Hampshire, with some pharmacies offering appointments as early as Monday.
The updated vaccines, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this week, target a more recent strain of the virus than past versions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone older than 6 months get a booster this fall.
The new boosters can be given at the same time as annual flu shots.
Experts expect COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses to circulate more widely again as the weather gets colder. State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan says you can get your COVID booster and flu shot in the same appointment.
COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths in New Hampshire have been rising in recent weeks, though they’re still below the levels of this time last year.
Chan said most people have developed some immunity to COVID-19 over the past three years, through vaccination, infection or both. But that immunity fades over time – which is why it’s important to get a booster this fall, he said.
“We do have data showing that in people that did get the booster last season, it helped to reduce a person's risk for needing to go to the emergency department or be hospitalized,” he said.
He added that last year’s boosters seemed to reduce the risk of severe illness “by anywhere from 50 to 70%.”
While more than 70% of Granite Staters completed their primary vaccination series for COVID-19, only 25% got one of the bivalent boosters released last fall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Major pharmacy chains said their stores are starting to receive the new vaccines and will have appointments available soon.
Walgreens said appointments would be available nationwide starting Monday, or sooner if inventory gets there in time. A spokesperson for CVS said all of the company’s locations are expected to have the new boosters in stock “by early next week.” Rite Aid’s online scheduler showed pharmacy locations in the Concord and Manchester areas had available appointments starting next Friday, Sept. 22.
People without insurance can get free COVID-19 vaccines and boosters at some pharmacies, health centers and doctors’ offices, through the federal government’s Bridge Access Program. Those locations are listed on vaccines.gov.
