Health & Fitness
New COVID Boosters Available In Virginia: Health Department
New COVID boosters targeting omicron subvariants of COVID-19 are now being provided to eligible residents in Virginia.
VIRGINIA — Eligible Virginia residents can now get COVID-19 booster vaccine doses targeting subvariants of the omicron variant, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The state's health department announced Wednesday that free COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccinations are available from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine is available to residents 12 years and older and the Moderna vaccine is available for persons aged 18 years. The booster is recommended at least two months after the original two-dose series or a previous booster dose.
The updated COVID-19 boosters specifically address the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the omicron variant that first appeared in November 2021. The omicron variant caused the post-winter holiday surge in early 2022, resulting in the largest rate of cases in Virginia to date. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the updated boosters target variants that are more easily spread and immune-evading.
Find out what's happening in Falls Churchfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"The elderly and those with significant chronic disease remain at the highest risk of severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19," said Virginia's State Health Commissioner Colin Greene in a statement. "Being vaccinated and boosted significantly reduces this risk."
The Food and Drug Administration approved an emergency use authorization for the updated boosters on Aug. 31, followed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Sept. 1. In the coming weeks, the CDC expects to recommend updated boosters for other pediatric groups.
Find out what's happening in Falls Churchfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In Virginia, the 35 local health districts pre-ordered 100,800 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine vials and 40,900 Moderna vials through the Virginia Department of Health, and pharmacies pre-ordered vaccines through the federal government. These pre-ordered vaccines were expected to arrive at health departments and other providers on Tuesday.
Residents can find COVID-19 vaccines near them by visiting vaccinate.virginia.gov or Vaccines.gov.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
