在新的一年里增进健康：接种 COVID-19 疫苗加强针剂的四个理由

预防 COVID-19 『 抗击疫情我们做得到！ 』宣传教育活动

一月是美国人制定新年计划的月份，其中通常会包括立誓采取行动改善健康状况。虽然我们的社区可能不会以同样的方式制定新年计划，但即将到来的农历新年是祝愿他人和自己身体健康的好时机，而 COVID 疫苗和加强针剂可以在很大程度上让每个人都健康度过新的一年。

2022 年初接种 COVID-19 疫苗加强针剂的主要原因如下：

加强针剂可随着时间推移为人们提供更多保护，并能抵御新出现的病毒变种。COVID-19 疫苗在预防严重疾病、住院和死亡方面依然发挥着良好作用。加强针剂是另一种剂量，顾名思义，它能随着时间推移增强人体对病毒的免疫力，还能抵御像德尔塔 (Delta) 和奥密克戎 (Omicron) 这样的变种。接种过疫苗以及加强针剂的人群患病的可能性较小；就算此类人群真的感染了病毒，病况通常也不会太过严重，即使感染的是病毒变种也是如此。凡是 12 岁或者以上的人都应接种加强针剂。

病毒在冬季往往传播得更快。随着气温下降，人们更倾向于待在室内，尤其是在庆祝农历新年时。拥挤的室内空间是 COVID 和其他病毒传播的理想场所，它们有时甚至会在已完全接种疫苗的人群中传播。除了在公共室内空间佩戴口罩外，还请您确保按照 CDC 建议的时间表接种加强针剂。

通过加强针剂來限制 COVID-19 的传播有助于控制疫情。一种病毒传播得越多，其变异的可能性就越大，从而增加发展出更具传染性和危险性变体的几率。随着越来越多的人接种 COVID-19 疫苗和加强针剂，病毒的传播将受到限制，新变种出现的几率也从而减少。完全接种了疫苗的人会继续受到保护，免于患严重疾病、住院以及死亡。加强针剂可以提供额外保护，防止出现可能导致病毒更广泛传播和将来发展出变种的病例。控制 COVID-19 并预防变体的最佳方法是让更多接种过疫苗的人再接种加强针剂。

接种加强针剂非常容易，所有 12 岁或以上已接种过疫苗的人均可进行接种。与疫苗一样，在美国生活的任何人都可以免费接种加强针剂。任何接种辉瑞 (Pfizer) 或莫德纳 (Moderna) 疫苗的人都应在五个月后接种加强针剂，而接种强生 (Johnson & Johnson) 疫苗的人应该在初次接种疫苗两个月后接种加强针剂。对于接种过疫苗的 18 岁及以上成年人，无论之前接种的是哪种类型或哪个品牌的疫苗，均可选择任何可接种的疫苗作为加强针剂；12 至 17 岁的人群只能接种辉瑞疫苗作为加强针剂。

接种加强针剂既安全又简单，是健康度过虎年的关键第一步。若想了解更多信息并寻找疫苗接种点，请访问 www.vaccines.gov。

Boost Your Health in the New Year: Four Reasons to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster

By the We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

January is a month when Americans are making New Year’s resolutions that often include pledges to take steps for better health. While our community may not make New Year’s resolutions in the same way, the upcoming Lunar New Year is a great time to wish good health on others and yourself, and COVID vaccines and boosters can go a long way to making the new year healthy for everyone.

Here are the top reasons to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster early in 2022: 

Boosters provide increased protection over time and against new variants. COVID-19 vaccines continue to work very well at preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death. A booster shot is another dose that boosts—as the name suggests—immunity to the virus as time passes, and it offers additional protection against variants like Delta and Omicron. Vaccinated people who have also had a booster are less likely to get sick; but if they do catch the virus, the illness is usually less severe, even with the variants. Everyone ages 12 and up should get a booster. 

Viruses tend to spread more quickly in winter months. As the temperature drops, people tend to spend more time inside—especially as they celebrate Lunar New Year. Crowded indoor spaces are perfect places for COVID and other viruses to spread, even sometimes among people who are fully vaccinated. In addition to masking in public indoor spaces, make sure you get a booster on the CDC-recommended schedule. 

Limiting the spread of COVID-19 through boosters can help control the pandemic. The more a virus spreads, the more likely it is to mutate, increasing the chances of the development of more contagious and dangerous variants. As more people get COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, the spread of the virus will be limited, reducing the chance of new variants emerging. Fully vaccinated people continue to be protected against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Boosters provide extra protection from cases that can lead to wider spread of the virus and the development of future variants. The best way to control COVID-19 and prevent variants is for more vaccinated people to get boosters. 

Boosters are easy to get and available to all vaccinated people age 12 or older. Just like the vaccines, booster shots are available at no cost to anyone living in the U.S. Anyone who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine should get a booster in five months, and those vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster two months after initial vaccination. Vaccinated adults 18 years and older may choose any available vaccine as a booster, regardless of the type or brand of vaccine received previously; only the Pfizer vaccine is available as a booster for those ages 12 to 17. 

Boosters are safe and easy to get and are a great first step to a healthy Year of the Tiger. For more information and to find a vaccine, visit www.vaccines.gov.