Camden County begins administering new reformulated COVID-19 boosters
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- The first shipments of the new reformulated COVID-19 booster shots have arrived in the region. Health officials say this new and improved vaccine will give people an added level of protection against the COVID-19 subvariants that are circulating now.
"I got the first appointment," Jeannette Gillespie-Deaner said. "I guess I got lucky."
Gillespie-Deaner was the first to arrive in Blackwood for a shot of the new COVID-19 booster.
"I'm 72 and I try to keep up on all the shots," she said.
The new Bivalent vaccine contains some of the original coronavirus along with elements of the new omicron BA.5 and BA.5 variants. It's designed to better guard against the strain of the virus that is currently circulating.
"Vaccinations work and I haven't had COVID yet," Karen Simmons said, "so I believe this will keep me more vaccinated and protected."
Simmons was among a group of best friends getting the shots together.
Deborah Bellino says she gets "every booster shot available" because she has Type 1 diabetes.
Camden County set up its COVID-19 vaccine hub in the parking lot of the community college.
"Always a concern people will not come out and take advantage of this," Caryelle Lasher with the Camden County Health Department said.
Lasher is worried that not enough people will get the new booster.
Of those eligible, only 48% of Americans have been boosted so far.
"It's really important," Lasher said. "This one is going to cover a larger number of the variants and the strains of COVID. So it's really important to keep numbers down as we're coming into the fall and we've seen in the past, we've seen spikes happen at this time."
Anyone over the age of 12 can get the new boosters if it's been at least two months since their last vaccine.
For Gillespie-Deaner, who has avoided getting COVID-19 so far, it's an extra dose of protection.
"Ready to go," she said.
Camden is among many counties and drug chains now offering the new booster.