When you should get your COVID-19 shot

CDC Director Mandy Cohen on Wednesday got her updated COVID-19 vaccine and said now is the time get your shot.

"October is the right time to get vaccinated," she said. "As we get into late fall and winter … what we expect is to see more COVID circulation in November, December, and January."

Cohen added that vaccine distribution has been slow this fall because the distribution process changed this year. When the pandemic emergency was active, vaccines were bought and distributed by the federal government for free. Now that the emergency has expired, vaccines are being distributed by the private sector.

Depending on your health plan, a COVID-19 vaccine might need to be administered by an in-network provider to avoid out-of-pocket fees. Cohen added that "there is ongoing work between the state and folks to make sure everyone can get reimbursed for the work that they're doing at health centers."

Currently there isn't one dominant coronavirus variant circulating in the United States, however, the EG.5 lineage is the most prevalent, accounting for more than a fifth of all cases, CNN reports. These variants don't appear to cause different or more severe symptoms, though experts say EG.5 appears to be more adept at escaping the immune system.

"There's immune waning, but the virus is also evolving," said Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health. "It's clear that things are starting to go up already. So, I don't think there's any sensible gaming of the timing (of getting the shot) when the risk is already there."

Lessler added that the earlier you get your COVID-19 vaccine, "the more similar it'll be to the current circulating strains and the more immediate protection you get."

It's possible the vaccine could make a "substantial difference" in severe outcomes, Lessler said. Current models suggest strong vaccine uptake could save tens of thousands of lives and prevent hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations.

Experts say people who received their last COVID-19 shot several months ago or longer should get a new one as soon as possible, but those who recently received the bivalent shot or were recently infected with COVID-19 can wait a bit longer, depending on their individual risk.

"The official recommendations are to wait two months after your last booster and three months after a recent Covid infection before getting the new vaccine," said Jeffrey Duchin, public health officer for Seattle and King County and a professor at the University of Washington.

However, Duchin added, "there are multiple factors that people can weigh in determining the precise timing of when they get vaccinated."

Regardless, experts encourage scheduling a vaccine appointment as soon as possible before any unexpected barriers could delay or prevent your ability to get it.

"Your exposure to the virus does not depend on when you schedule your vaccine," said Tochi Iroku-Malize, a family physician and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. "The virus is not waiting for you to go get your vaccine. So get the vaccine now, as soon as you're able." (Garcis, Los Angeles Times, 10/11; McPhillips, CNN, 9/14)

Going into the fall, the United States may see a new surge of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza. To protect against illness, federal health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated once new shots against these three viruses are available.