Who

Everyone 12 and older can now receive a COVID-19 booster. For those 12 to 17, a Pfizer booster is available. Anyone older than 18 can receive either a Pfizer or Moderna booster. And it’s OK to mix and match vaccines. You can receive either booster regardless of what your initial vaccine series was.

If you were vaccinated outside the U.S., you can receive a booster as long as you have already received all the recommended doses of a World Health Organization emergency-use-listing vaccine or have completed a mix-and-match series of WHO- and FDA-authorized vaccines.

What

A booster dose is an additional dose of a vaccine given after a specific period of time when research shows that the original immunity and protection begin to lessen.

COVID-19 boosters use the same vaccine formulation as the initial doses. The Pfizer booster is exactly the same as the two doses in the initial series. Moderna’s booster is half the dose of those provided in the initial series. Both are effective, and you can choose which booster you receive.

Where

Booster doses are available in nearly all locations where COVID-19 vaccines are provided, and appointments can be scheduled through ourshot.in.gov.

IU Bloomington, IUPUI and IU South Bend also offer booster doses by appointment through their campus health centers. In addition, the Floyd County Health Department provides boosters on the IU Southeast campus, and IU Northwest will host an on-campus clinic Feb. 22 to 25. Appointments for boosters at the IU Southeast and IU Northwest clinics can be made through ourshot.in.gov.

When

If you meet the age criteria for getting a booster and received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for your initial series, you can get your booster five months after your second dose. If your first COVID-19 vaccine was Johnson & Johnson, you can get a booster two months after your initial vaccine.

There’s no reason to wait after these time limits to get your booster. You can receive a flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine booster at the same time. And, if you’ve just recovered from COVID-19, you can get a booster as soon as your symptoms have improved and you’re out of isolation.

Why

The COVID-19 vaccines continue to perform very well at preventing severe disease and death. Like many vaccines, however, their effectiveness can decrease over time. Boosters are then added to “boost” the effectiveness of the original vaccine.

Most recently, research shows that those who were fully vaccinated plus had a booster have better protection against the very transmissible omicron variant. In addition, by individuals getting a booster, they are helping to further protect those around them, including those who may be immunocompromised, elderly or otherwise at high risk of severe disease.

While being fully vaccinated is a great step toward ending the pandemic, getting a booster takes that a step further.

Already got your booster? Thank you! You can let IU know you’ve been boosted. Students who choose to report their booster will receive $20 Crimson Cash.

Amanda Roach is a senior communications consultant in the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.