New Tool Calculates, Schedules Your Next COVID-19 Vaccine Shot

A new tool to determine when someone should receive their next COVID-19 vaccine dose is online thanks to West Virginia University and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

“This incredibly important tool will help some people to ensure that they’re getting their booster shots,” Gov. Jim Justice said. “I really want to thank Dr. Julia Fraustino, director of West Virginia University’s Public Interest Communication Research Lab, and WVU student Steven Lough for their efforts in creating the calculator. This is really great work coming from West Virginia University and we thank them in every way.”

The “COVID-19 Vaccination Due Date Calculator” takes into account when someone last got a shot, how many shots they’ve had, their age and if they are immunocompromised in some way. The tool then assesses if and when someone should get their next vaccine dose and where to get it.

These recommendations are based on federal health guidelines. The tool doesn’t consider if someone recently caught the coronavirus, has a job where they interact with several people, or lives with someone who is immunocompromised.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend everyone 12 years old and older get a booster shot, but these agencies are debating if a second booster is needed.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.