This story is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. Link to FULL story: whyy.org/npr_story_post/the-new-covid-boosters-are-coming-heres-what-you-need-to-know

If it feels like everyone you know has COVID, you’re not alone. Cases are on the rise, and so are hospitalizations and deaths. So the federal government’s release of new, updated COVID boosters feels like good timing.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the new shots; on Tuesday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weighed in with recommendations for who should get them. Short answer: Everyone ages six months and up.

The vaccines should be available starting this week at a pharmacy near you. So how fast should you roll up your sleeve? And why do we need another booster anyway?

See full story (link is above) for answers from physicians, infectious disease researchers and federal officials.