Omicron Booster – After a long wait, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States has announced that they have approved an omicron booster with the eligibility criteria for every American in the United States. People who are eligible according to the eligibility criteria should get themselves vaccinated with the omicron booster as early as possible.
The Omicron booster was among the much-awaited vaccines for COVID-19 in 2022. The debate on the effectiveness of COVID-19 received a new point when the Food and Drug Administration of the United States asked major vaccine manufacturers in the country to work on variant-specific booster shots.
The Food and Drug Administration of the United States, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have not cracked the primary series of COVID vaccines or the booster series. Both oblique health departments still believe that the old vaccine or COVID-19 is capable of providing greater protection against the original variant of the virus and severe infection.
But that is not our topic of the day to discuss. Today we are here to discuss everything regarding boosters in the United States. We will take a look at what is so special about this vaccine and whether you should get it or not.
What is an Omicron Booster?
Before we move ahead, let’s first discuss the basics of an omicron booster. Viruses like COVID-19 keep changing their shape depending on the environment and other factors. We have seen several different variants of COVID-19 in the last 2.5 years. There was a beta variant, alpha variant, South Africa, England variant, and one of those was omicron.
Health experts around the world believe that old COVID vaccines and their booster shots were not enough to protect against the infection of the virus.
Another thing you should know about vaccination is that most vaccines in the world contain the strain of the virus within the vaccine. Yes, you hear it right. Most vaccines in the world, including COVID-19 and shingles, contain the original virus so that your body knows how to fight against it. The virus is going to be inactive.
Similarly, an omicron booster is going to contain the strength of the omicron variant of COVID-19, which will provide greater protection and help your body understand how to fight the virus.
Side Effects of Omicron Booster
Once you have learned the basics of an omicron booster, now it is time for you to learn about its side effects.
Yes, there is a huge list of side effects of omicron stretch, just like any other vaccine of COVID-19 and its booster shot. The vaccine is no different than any other COVID vaccine or its booster shot when it comes to side effects.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have already released a specific list of side effects of omicron booster. Everyone should keep in their mind that there is a probability that you will experience the below-given list of general side effects from micro boosters.
- Pain at the injection site
- Swelling on the injection site
- Unexplained fatigue
- Headaches
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea
Kindly remember these are the general symptoms of receiving any vaccine, including omicron booster. There is a very high probability that the side effects will go away on their own within a few days.
If symptoms are getting worse even after two to three days, then you can consult with your healthcare provider. People usually feel better without any medication, but you can also consult it.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highly suggest everyone not use any over-the-counter medication to get relief from the side effects.
Eligibility to Receive Omicron Booster
Similar to any other vaccine in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released a separate set of guidelines related to the eligibility for omicron booster.
People who fall within the eligibility criteria should get themselves vaccinated with an omicron booster as early as possible. It is known to provide better protection against currently dominating variants of COVID-19.
The food ministry of the United States has approved two different omicron boosters in their country, and they both are made a little bit different. That is why the eligibility criteria to receive omicron boosters are different depending on the manufacturer.
- To receive an omicron booster, everyone must be vaccinated with a primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.
- Everyone above the age of 12 is eligible to receive a Pfizer omicron booster in the United States.
- Everyone above the age of 18 is eligible to receive a Moderna omicron booster in the United States.
- Everyone must maintain at least a two months gap between their last dose of the COVID vaccine and omicron booster.
The Food and Drug Administration of the United States has already made it clear in its press release that both omicron boosters fall under the mix-and-match policy of the federal government.
It indicates that people who have received the vaccine of Johnson and Johnson or Novavax as their Primary series are eligible to receive an omicron booster in the United States.
Where to get an Omicron Booster in the US?
People who are eligible to receive omicron booster in the United States as per the above-given eligibility criteria are suggested to get vaccinated with the same as early as possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently updated its guidelines, and as per the latest guidelines, everyone who has received an omicron booster will be considered up to date with the COVID vaccine.
It means that people who had already received eligible booster shots are no longer going to be up to date with the COVID vaccine. If you want to get yourself the tag up to date with the COVID vaccine, then you should get yourself vaccinated with an omicron booster as early as possible.
Another thing you should keep in mind is that the Centers for Disease control and prevention will consider you as up to date even if you receive just one omicron booster along with the primary series of COVID vaccines.
CVS Pharmacy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in partnership with several pharmaceutical giants, including CVS pharmacy, to vaccinate every American throughout the nation.
CVS pharmacies have more than 5000 locations where they are offering COVID vaccines, including omicron booster, throughout the nation, and you can use their official website to create your appointment. We have provided the direct link to the appointment page from the official website of CVS pharmacy, which you can easily access using the above-given button.
Walgreens Pharmacy
Similar to CVS pharmacy, the Centers for Disease control and prevention is also in partnership with the Walgreens pharmacy. Walgreens also has more than 5000 locations where they are currently offering omicron boosters. These locations are in all 50 states, and you can get yourself vaccinated anywhere in the country.
You can use the above-given button, which will directly take you to the official website of Walgreens and redirect you to the appointment page. To create an appointment for a booster, you have to enter basic information regarding the patient, including full name, address, date of birth, and vaccination status.
Rite Aid Pharmacy
To expand its vaccination program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to partner with several pharmaceutical companies, including Rite Aid pharmacy. As compared to the above-given options, the right pharmacies might not have a presence in all 50 states, but they are among the top rated on both coasts of the United States.
Rite Aid pharmacies have more than 2500 locations on the east and West Coast of the United States. They also suggest everyone create an earlier appointment using the above-given button. You might be able to find some walk-in vaccination sites at Rite Aid pharmacy, but we highly suggest everyone create an online appointment.
Others
Apart from the above-given pharmacies, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, along with state governments, also have several other options where Americans can get themselves vaccinated with any COVID vaccine, including an omicron booster.
You can visit any nearby community health care center and ask for a booster. Officials at the community, health care center will be able to help you find the nearby vaccination site. There are tons of options in the United States where Americans can’t get themselves vaccinated without any cost.
Several independent clinics and organizations are also offering free COVID vaccination, including omicron boosters.
When can I receive omicron boosters in the United States?
Omicron boosters are already available in the United States, and anyone can use the website of pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid to create an online appointment. COVID vaccination, including omicron boosters, are available without any cost for Americans at thousands of locations throughout the nation
