Doctors say South Carolina is experiencing a summer surge in COVID-19 cases and recommend people with symptoms get tested.
“It is slightly different [from] what the mRNA. It's very similar to last year, but it's ... adjusted a little bit to the newer strain," Dr. Helmet Albrecht with Prisma Health said. "So it's not a new technique, but a slightly different formula, what it covers. So, it goes with the evolution of the strain.”
Dr. Albrecht recommended getting a booster shot when the vaccine becomes available in September.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12.4% of COVID-19 tests in South Carolina were positive in the last two weeks.
Doctors said the current strains are less severe, but you must be cautious.
“We aren't seeing as many people that are in the hospital or dying from it, but it's still, you know, an illness that can be very serious in certain populations of people,” said Dr. Shelley Janssen, the chief medical officer for Doctors Care.
Doctors say people with underlying health conditions or weak immune systems are most vulnerable. People exposed but not showing systems should still get a molecular COVID test.
"We have those tests in our doctors care centers but they can detect COVID illness before you even show any symptoms," Dr. Janssen said.
The CDC said an updated COVID-19 vaccine would be available from Moderna, Novavax and Pfizer.