FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Months after the COVID-19 vaccines were first rolled out, boosters are now being encouraged.
"Getting vaccinated is important. Staying vaccinated - meaning high levels of immunity - is also incredibly important," said Governor Andy Beshear during his Thursday press conference.
The governor and First Lady Britainy Beshear received their boosters on Thursday.
Gov. Beshear said all eligible Kentuckians should get one to boost their immunity. He said the state is seeing hospitalizations among the vaccinated go up month after month, which suggests immunity is waning.
"If we have another spike - and the severity of what it will be - will depend on how many of our people we have gotten boosted," said Gov. Beshear. "We've seen in recent weeks that waning immunity is real."
Who should get a booster?
According to the state, if you originally received Pfizer or Moderna, you should get a booster if you:
- are 65 or older
- are 18 or older and live in a long-term setting
- are 18 or older and have an underlying medical condition
- are 18 or older and work or live around a lot of people
If you originally received Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, the state says you should get a booster if you:
- are 18 or older
When should you get a booster?
According to the state, you should get a booster at least six months after you received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and at least two months after you received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Which booster should you get?
According to the CDC, no matter what initial vaccine you received, you can pick whichever vaccine you want to receive as a booster. That means you do not need to get the same vaccine you initially received.
"I certainly pray that we have seen the worst of it, but we have to be prepared," said Gov. Beshear. "And everybody who has gotten vaccinated will have some level of protection. But the higher the level of that protection, the harder it's going to be for any next variant to break through and cause us harm."
