In an effort to match newer strains of the ever-evolving COVID-19 virus, scientists developed bivalent boosters that cover the "original" COVID-19 strain as well as newer versions of omicron, including BA.4 and BA.5.
This is for people who are fully vaccinated but haven't gotten any booster yet, which accounts for about 48% of vaccinated adults in the US.īoosters have proven to be critical in restoring protection against severe disease that's faded over time from someone's original vaccination or a previous illness. Getting a booster right now is especially important if you're in your 60s or older, if you're at higher risk of severe COVID or if you were infected awhile back.Įveryone age 5 and older is eligible for an updated booster, which is one dose of either Pfizer's or Moderna's updated formulas, as long as two months have gone by since your last COVID-19 shot.Īnd for adults who can't take an mRNA vaccine or don't want one, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Food and Drug Administration signed off last week on Novavax's vaccine as a booster, as long as six months have gone by since you completed your primary vaccine (the first two doses, or one dose if you got Johnson & Johnson). Boosters restore much of that protection. The mutating virus has chipped away at earlier protection from vaccines and COVID-19 infections.
Adults who don't want either can get a shot of Novavax for their first booster. Updated boosters from Pfizer and Moderna target the BA.5 version of omicron and are available to everyone age 5 and up.
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