Milwaukee health officials push for people to get latest COVID boosters

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Cold and flu season is upon us, and Milwaukee County health officials say COVID continues to be a concern.

Everyone five and older can now get a booster shot to protect against multiple strains of COVID.

In Milwaukee County, health officials say 62% of people have completed their primary COVID-19 vaccination series, but only 35% have gotten any booster at all.

They're hoping the new bivalent vaccine available to everyone five and up will encourage more people to get boosted.

"I know that there's been kind of an uptick lately, you know it's the fall and winter season. Also I'll be doing a bunch of traveling coming up soon so I just want to make sure I'm protected," said Andrew Lomenzo.

He's one of the 35% in Milwaukee County who have gotten their booster shot.

Milwaukee County Chief Health Policy Advisor Dr. Ben Weston says more people need to get boosted.

"So we do have a ways to go, 65% of people have not had any booster in our communities," said Dr. Weston.

Dr. Hashim Zaibak, founder of Hayat Pharmacy, says as the bivalent vaccine has become available to kids five and older, more parents are coming in and getting the whole family boosted against both old and new variants.

"Now they're coming with their children and they're like since I'm here, let me get the booster too," said Dr. Zaibak.

Dr. Weston says he's hoping to dispel misinformation about the newest vaccines, like people saying it could cause heart inflammation, something he says happens to 1-2 people in 10,000, usually 16–24-year-old males.

"That's extremely rare and even when it does happen, it's typically very mild and it resolves with Ibuprofen."