Your guide to COVID-19

The federal government plans to end the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023. We’re reviewing how the end of the public health emergency affects how COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatment are provided and covered. At this time, your costs and coverage remain unchanged.

Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath — similar to the flu. They've also experienced chills or shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and loss of sense of smell or taste. While information indicates that most cases are mild, symptoms appear to be more severe in the elderly and people with chronic conditions.

Watch this video to learn more about common symptoms of COVID-19.

For people 6 months of age and older who have received their primary vaccination, the CDC recommends a booster shot updated to better address Omicron variants. Children ages 6 months through 5 years who previously completed a Moderna primary series are eligible to receive a Moderna bivalent booster 2 months after their final primary series dose. Children ages 6 months through 4 years who are currently completing a Pfizer primary series will receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose. There is currently no authorized or recommended vaccine for a booster in children ages 6 months through 4 years who have already completed a three-dose Pfizer primary series with only the monovalent vaccine. This may change in early 2023.

According to the CDC, the updated Pfizer and Moderna boosters are both considered safe and effective. For maximum protection, you should get whichever updated booster is available to you, regardless of which vaccine you received for your primary vaccination. 

However, children ages 6 months through 5 years who previously completed a Moderna primary series are only eligible to receive a Moderna bivalent booster 2 months after their final primary series dose. Children ages 6 months through 4 years who are currently completing a Pfizer primary series will receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose. There is currently no authorized or recommended vaccine for a booster in children ages 6 months through 4 years who have already completed a Pfizer primary series with only the monovalent vaccine. This may change in early 2023.

People 6 years and older can receive either the Moderna or Pfizer updated boosters. For maximum protection, people 6 years of age and older should get whichever updated booster is available, regardless of which vaccine they received for primary vaccination

Pfizer’s data shows that the vaccine is 90.9% effective in preventing infection in children 5 to 11. The data also shows that the vaccine reduces the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 in children if they do become infected.

Vaccinating children 5 to 11 also helps our communities build herd immunity and reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 outbreaks.