With Coronavirus Endemic, Some Residents Should Get A 2nd COVID-19 Bivalent Booster

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Even as COVID-19 is more endemic than a pandemic compared to past years, booster shots to protect residents against the coronavirus continue to be offered. The Alexandria Health Department announced new guidance allowing limited groups of people to get a second bivalent booster.

The bivalent COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, updated vaccines to address more prevalent subvariants of the omicron variant, started to be offered around Virginia in fall 2022. Now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated guidance allowing people with a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 to receive an optional second bivalent dose. The Virginia Department of Health announced it was implementing the new guidance in Virginia Friday.

Under new recommended guidance, people 65 and older can get an additional bivalent booster at least four months after the last booster. Immunocompromised people can get an additional booster at least two months after the last booster. Afterward, immunocompromised people should seek further guidance from their health care provider.

People under 65 and are not immunocompromised are not recommended to get another bivalent booster.

People who are not vaccinated may choose to get just one dose of the bivalent vaccine. No other doses are recommended.

Children between 6 months and 4 years old are not recommended to get another booster if they already received a bivalent booster. Children between 6 months and 5 years old who received non-bivalent vaccine can receive another dose. Families should talk to their health care provider to determine when to get boosters for children. Immunocompromised children may get a booster based on the guidance of a health care provider.

Unvaccinated children between 6 months and 4 years old can get a two-dose series of the Moderna vaccine or three-dose series of the Pfizer vaccine. Unvaccinated children 5 or older can get two doses of the Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

All Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines being offered in Virginia are bivalent vaccines updated to address subvariants. Novavax and Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccines do not have any authorized bivalent vaccines.

If you're unsure if the booster you've gotten is a bivalent vaccine, the bivalent boosters have been given since September 2022. Doses given up to August 2022 were monovalent vaccines.

In Alexandria, vaccine availability may vary by provider. Contact vaccine providers to ask about appointments. Residents can find vaccine availability from the Alexandria Health Department and more guidance at alexandriava.gov/vaccines.

Questions may also be directed to Alexandria's COVID-19 Hotline on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 703-746-4988.