MAYVILLE — The newly upgraded COVID-19 vaccine booster is available locally.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new COVID-19 vaccine booster recommendations after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized both Pfizer and Moderna’s updated formulas of “bivalent” vaccines.

County Public Health Director Christine Schuyler said at this week’s Board of Health meeting they have the Pfizer vaccine on hand in their office and multiple pharmacies have the vaccine as well.

“Booster doses are common for many vaccines, and over time, booster formulations may need updated to provide the best protection against new variants of a virus,” Schuyler said. “The scientists and medical experts who developed the COVID-19 vaccines continue to watch for waning immunity, how well the vaccines protect against new mutations of the virus, and how that data differ across age groups and risk factors. The updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster is designed to protect against original strains of the virus, which the former monovalent vaccines covered, and the Omicron variants that account for the majority of current new infections.”

Schuyler encouraged people to get the booster when they get their annual flu shots.

She noted the latest CDC recommendations on booster doses help to ensure more people are better protected against COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious illness or death from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated and boosted if eligible. Vaccination and boosting is particularly important for individuals more at risk for severe COVID-19, such as older people and those with underlying medical conditions.

The county Board of Health is made up of practicing and retired physicians and medial professionals. Schuyler looked at them and said, “I bet there’s not a whole lot of us in this room right now who don’t know somebody right now, or in the last week, that’s probably been sick with COVID. It’s still here.”

Board member Elisabeth Rankin, a legislator from Jamestown, said she has heard from a lot of people who got this latest booster and said it didn’t make them sick like the other ones had done in the past. “I’ve heard a lot of good reports of this booster,” she said.

Since the spring, the county has been analyzing wastewater in Dunkirk and Jamestown to track the spread of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Health Board members said they find this material very helpful. “It shows you the curve that coming,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kidder.

The data, which is available on the county’s website, shows a spike of COVID in wastewater in early August, which dropped by the end of the month and slowly has been picking back up.

As of Wednesday, Chautauqua County’s community level of spread was labeled “low.”

Schuyler said she wants to see people get the booster as the weather turns cooler and more gatherings take place inside.

According to the county Health Department, those who are eligible should get a new booster dose at least two months after completing their primary series or at least two months after receiving a booster. Pfizer’s updated booster dose is recommended for individuals 12 and older and Moderna’s updated booster dose is recommended for adults 18 and older.

Eligibility for this booster depends on:

¯ Your age;

¯ When you finished primary vaccination; and/or

¯ When you received your most recent booster dose of a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC website has a “When are you up to date?” tool. This guides you through questions about your COVID-19 vaccine history; based on your responses, it provides guidance on getting the updated booster. Talk to your healthcare provider about any questions you have about COVID-19 vaccine and your risk of moderate and severe illness.

You can get your booster dose at various pharmacies in the county which are listed on the county’s website at https://chqgov.com/public-health/novel-coronavirus-covid-19. The Health Department is also offering bivalent Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to individuals ages 12 and older at the Health Department Office in Mayville, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please call 716-753-4491 to schedule an appointment or reach out to one of several local pharmacies to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine booster.