(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is starting to get in shipments of the latest COVID-19 booster shots, and the experts say we should consult with our doctors on the best timing to get vaccinated. The new m-R-N-A booster doses from Moderna and Pfizer are bi-valent, meaning, they protect against two strains of coronavirus. Federal guidance recommends those 12 and older get the shot at least two months after their last dose. Leah Veach, an infectious disease specialist with UnityPoint, says some people may want to wait a little longer between shots if they’ve recently had another booster or a COVID infection. “If you’re right at that two-month point, I surely would have no problem with waiting an additional month or two beyond that,” Veach says, “but I would not wait until say January or February to assess the situation.”

Veach says not to panic and think you need to get in right away for the booster. “Sometimes people hear that two-month interval and think, ‘Oh my goodness, I need to get it right at two months,'” Veach says. “It’s just important to realize that that’s a minimum and that it’s absolutely fine and maybe slightly beneficial to wait a bit longer than that.”

Federal figures show 63-percent of all Iowans have received their initial vaccinations against the virus, but only slightly more than half of this group has received their first booster dose.

(reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)