Crossposted from Public Health Insider

This week, the CDC recommended that everyone six months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the newer variants and potentially serious COVID-19 complications now ahead of possible increases in infection this fall and winter. We talked to Dr. Eric Chow, our Chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization, to get the latest about the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Chow, why is there yet another COVID-19 vaccine?

COVID-19 viruses change, and that makes it harder for our bodies to fight off new versions, or variants, even if you’ve had COVID-19 or been vaccinated previously. It’s harder for your body’s immune system to fight off variants that are different than the ones it’s fought before. Read more.