SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued new guidelines concerning COVID-19 vaccines. Most people who are up to date on their shots don’t need to do anything.

We talked with Sanford’s Chief Physician about the new guidelines and the future of life with COVID-19.

The new recommendations allow an additional updated vaccine dose for adults ages 65 years and older and for immunocompromised people. If you haven’t had the new bivalent vaccine, the CDC recommends that everyone age 6 years and older receive an updated shot.

People under age 65 who have already received the updated vaccine, don’t have to do anything. The Bivalant vaccine was first rolled out in September of last year.

We spoke with Sanford’s Dr. Jeremy Cauwels about what we can expect in the future.

He says the idea that every year we will get a seasonal flu shot and a COVID shot doesn’t appear as likely as it once did. “Interestingly enough, the flu is seasonal, RSV is seasonal, COVID really hasn’t seen that ability and so I don’t expect that we are going to have to change things remarkably going into the winter, I think it will be one of those things that if you are due for a dose they’ll give you one,” said Cauwels.

The original Monovalent vaccines we all got in the first round of shots will no longer be recommended for use in the United States. Cauwels says as COVID continues to evolve, it is putting fewer people in the hospital.

“Now what I can tell you is we have enough room to take care of people, still get your vaccination, but what we recommend is following these guidelines as they come out, and just doing everything you can to keep yourself safe,” said Cauwels.

According to Cauwels, the bivalent vaccines appear to be doing a good job of keeping people out of the hospital and from dying. And unlike the height of the pandemic, Doctors have medications that have proved effective in treating COVID. Two more South Dakotans who had COVID-19 have died, according to this week’s update from the state health department.