Should you get a COVID booster? Here are 7 things to consider.

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• Are you at higher risk for severe infection?

• Do you have a major life event coming up?

• If the event is coming up, you'll want to get a shot sooner rather than later.

• People likely to get very sick if infected should take the most care to be protected, experts say.

• Protection isn't like a light switch. You won't be safe on Tuesday and vulnerable on Wednesday. It happens gradually. And it's impossible for experts to predict exactly when that protection will fade enough to leave you vulnerable or unexpectedly exposed to the virus.

• Have you recently gotten the virus?

• Is COVID-19 likely to get bad again? This is a big unanswerable question. For the past three years, the holiday season has triggered a spike in cases that peaked each year in January. But it's unclear whether that pattern will repeat this year.

• Should I get flu and COVID shots simultaneously? The CDC says it's perfectly safe to get the two shots at the same time. Only you know yourself. If you're the type of person who's not likely to come back for a second shot, seize the moment and get both.

• Does it matter which vaccine I get? No. There's not much difference among the three authorized vaccines.

• If you have had rough side effects after getting an mRNA vaccine, you might consider getting the Novavax shot this time

• As for mixing shots, that has been part of the dialogue since COVID-19 arrived, and now there's more clarity: Studies haven't shown a significant benefit to mixing and matching vaccines.

• What if I'm young and healthy? Do I really need another booster? The short answer is: probably not, as long as you don't mind being sick for a week or two.