Gov. Kathy Hochul implores all New Yorkers to get updated COVID-19 vaccine
NEW YORK -- A brand new COVID-19 vaccine is approved and being distributed nationwide just in time for cooler months.
Doctors and elected leaders are urging everyone to protect themselves and others.
Wednesday morning on Long Island, nurse Sandra Lindsay continued her trailblazing trend. She was the first person in New York to get the original COVID vaccine in 2020. Now she's the first to get the brand new vaccine.
"I'm grateful to be in this position... to be the first to be getting this updated COVID vaccine, but more importantly to be in a position to raise awareness about the importance of getting vaccinated," Lindsay said.
READ MORE: Why the CDC recommends everyone get the new COVID vaccine booster for fall 2023
As she was getting vaccinated, Gov. Kathy Hochul was urging all New Yorkers to do the same.
"So here's the simple message, New Yorkers - get the vaccine," Hochul said.
Hochul said all New Yorkers 6 months and older should get the new and improved COVID vaccine as we head into the fall and winter months, which last year slammed New York with the dreaded "tripledemic" of flu, COVID and RSV.
READ MORE: White House brings back free at-home COVID test orders as part of "winter preparedness plan"
"Hospitalizations are once again rising. We're hearing about new variants. People thinking, what's this all about? But in New York we don't panic, we prepare," Hochul said.
The new one-shot vaccine is FDA approved and has the backing of the CDC, which applauded drug makers Pfizer and Moderna for tailoring the shot to fight against the newest Omicron variants.
Doctors said everyone, including pregnant women, should get the vaccine, but some can afford to wait a bit longer.
READ MORE: COVID, flu and RSV: Expert advice for protecting yourself as virus season approaches
"Those would include people who were recently infected and have some immunity from that and can wait a little longer, and also people who received an older version of the COVID-19 vaccine in the last few months," infectious disease specialist Denis Nash said.
The new COVID vaccines will be available at doctors' offices and pharmacies nationwide by the end of the week.