(Family Features) Four and a half years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are once again enjoying time with friends and family and doing their favorite things. However, the COVID-19 virus keeps changing, so it’s still important to stay up-to-date on your vaccinations. Respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, are common during fall and winter months.

“As the virus changes, we are learning more and more about how to protect people from COVID-19,” says Namandjé N. Bumpus, Ph.D., principal deputy commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “Getting the latest COVID-19 vaccine means your protection is as up-to-date as possible.” Here is information about this season’s COVID-19 vaccines from the Risk Less. Do More. public education campaign:

  1. Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 lowers your chances of getting very sick or being hospitalized. Some people who are vaccinated still get sick, but it can make symptoms milder. This is important if you are over age 65 or have certain health conditions. Both can put you at a higher risk for serious or long-lasting health problems, such as Long COVID or even death from COVID-19. If you do get COVID-19, ask your doctor about treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness.
  2. COVID-19 vaccines are regularly updated based on the latest variants. The updated vaccines offer the best protection against the changing virus that causes COVID-19. Getting the latest vaccine boosts your immunity and lowers your risk of severe sickness.
  3. Side effects for COVID-19 vaccines are usually mild and go away on their own in a few days. The most common side effects are soreness or redness at the injection site, headache or body aches, or fever. Severe side effects like anaphylaxis are rare, with about five adverse events per 1 million doses given.

Staying informed, getting this season’s COVID-19 vaccine, and encouraging loved ones to do the same are the best things you can do to protect yourself and others this fall and winter. Knowing the facts about COVID-19 vaccinations can give you peace of mind and support a safer, healthier future for all. Visit cdc.gov/RiskLessDoMore for more information, or talk to your doctor. If you think you have COVID-19, testing can help. All U.S. households are now eligible to receive four free COVID-19 test kits. Order them at COVIDTests.gov.

During the first two years of the pandemic, people in Black and Hispanic communities were consistently more likely to get COVID-19, need medical or hospital care, and die from COVID-19 than people in other communities. That gap has since narrowed, but this past summer, Black people were still more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 compared to the average across all races and ethnicities combined. For everyone, getting the latest COVID-19 vaccine offers the best protection against severe disease and hospitalization.