RALEIGH, N.C. — You can now get your new COVID-19 vaccines. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization for updated Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

What You Need To Know

  • Updated COVID-19 vaccines have been released

  • CVS Pharmacy said it has been putting more shots into arms since the new boosters have come out

  • The improved vaccines target the current variant

The improved vaccines target the current variant. Hospitals have seen more cases of COVID-19 recently, but the trend may be going down. As of Aug. 28, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said 7.4% of emergency room visits had symptoms of a respiratory virus.

Since the COVID-19 vaccine approvals, CVS Pharmacy in Cary said it has been giving more of these shots.

“Majority of our stores got the supplies Saturday, Sunday into the weekend. So, this whole week we have seen an uptick in appointments,” said Gaurang Trivedi, the CVS region director.

This is something that Trivedi is happy to see.

“The vaccine works, and as we have seen over the last several years, shots in arms, that’s how we really got the community going. We got people back to work. We got people back to schools,” Trivedi said.

Trivedi has a background as a pharmacist, so he knows how important it is that people protect themselves, especially those most vulnerable, including people who are 65 or older and those who have lower immunity.

“It does take up to two weeks for you to get the full immunity; so please when you come in don’t wait, don’t wait until October, November, December. The earlier the better, get the vaccine, get protected,” Trivedi said.

Two people who decided to get their updated vaccine shots are Sean Johnston and George Frazier.

Johnston is an Apex resident but also a CVS employee. He didn’t have it on his calendar to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, but he knew it was something he wanted to do.

“I’m very happy we got the vaccines in and that we are there trying to help the public stay healthy,” Johnston said. “Both my wife and daughter have asthma; and working in retail we are exposed to things all the time, and I don’t want to bring anything home to the family, and the other is I’m on a medication that does lower my immune response and any additional protection or benefit I can get to keep myself healthy, I’m going to do it.”

Meanwhile, Frazier, a Cary resident, has the same feelings.

“I think it’s important for everybody to be diligent,” Frazier said. “This COVID virus is going to continue to be with us, it’s going to continue to morph into different variants, and I just think the whole heard immunity thing is important, and everybody should do their part.”