BALTIMORE — Medical professionals expect an increase in COVID-19 cases this Fall.
They are encouraging people to get the new bivalent booster shot.
However, some people are hesitant and want to know what makes this booster different.
Health experts from Johns Hopkins told WMAR-2 News the new single-dose vaccine works to tackle two strains of COVID-19 — the original and the highly contagious omicron variant.
The vaccine specifically targets the omicron variant to reduce sickness and even take away mild infections like a cough.
The idea of the vaccine is to prevent people from getting the virus, or if they contract it, the symptoms will be very minimal as if they are asymptomatic.
"Omicron variants are very infectious and they've been dominating for many months so this bivalent formula is very important for protection against circulating strains this fall," said Dr. Keri Althoff, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
"If the U.S. flu season does come early, it may overlap, with an expected COVID-19 fall surge, thus providing a lot of problems in terms of identifying who's sick and what virus they’re infected with," said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Think about the influenza vaccine the same way you're thinking about the bivalent COVID19 vaccine. Both of those are needed, both of those should be scheduled as soon as possible."
The new booster has been available in Maryland for a few days, but some people aren't in a rush to get it.
"I feel like it's just not natural, you know, I'm all for like natural stuff and just go and eat your fruits and vegetables, eat good, you know, eating healthy and working out and taking care of your body," said Kayla Brisco, a Baltimore resident.
"I just was kind of unsure about it when I heard about it," added Diamond Smithson. "I just think that there are other routes to protecting yourself. But I'm for whoever want to do whatever to take care of their body."
Doctors say it's safe to get the new boosters with a flu shot. They believe both will keep you safe.
