With the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, rapidly spreading throughout the country, public health officials are pushing for more and more people to get vaccinated. There are also certified booster vaccines available to aid as additional protection after the immunity from the initial vaccination(s) starts to diminish.

These booster vaccines are important because protection against the Covid-19 pandemic, by means of the vaccine, is declining over time, specifically for those who were vaccinated earlier in the year. The New York Times states that the daily average on Jan. 2, 2022, was 405,470 new cases in the United States alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the booster vaccines are the same formulation as the current coronavirus vaccines, but Moderna boosters are half the dose of their initial series. Saying this, there is not anything new to expect with these vaccines, as there will be the same formula as the initial vaccines.

As of now, everyone ages 12 and older can get the booster shot and the CDC says that everyone 18 and older should, but this depends on the vaccine someone gets. The “12 and older” eligibility only applies to those who choose to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. However, to get the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen booster, people must be at least 18 years of age.

AAPS is having vaccine clinics including booster shots for anyone eligible at Pioneer High School from 4-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 18, Tuesday, Jan. 25, and Tuesday Feb. 14.

According to Our World in Data, as of Dec. 30, 2021, only 20.9 percent of the population in the US has taken the booster vaccine. The faster people get vaccinated while following guidelines, the faster this pandemic ends.