New Omicron-specific COVID boosters were approved by U.S. health officials last week. Those 18 and older can receive an updated shot from Moderna, and those 12 and older can receive an updated shot from Pfizer.
The bivalent vaccines, which offer better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant, have been authorized for use as a single booster dose at least two months after primary or booster vaccination. Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 booster is authorized for use as a single booster dose in people 18 years old and up. The Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 booster is authorized for use as a single booster dose in people 12 years old and up.
A patient can choose to receive either the updated Pfizer booster or the updated Moderna booster, regardless of which company’s primary dose series or booster vaccine they received previously. Also, the CDC has said that COVID-19 vaccinations may be co-administered with the flu vaccination. The digital scheduler available at CVS.com or via the CVS Pharmacy app allows patients to schedule a bivalent COVID-19 booster and flu vaccination during the same visit.
The chain expects to begin receiving doses of the new booster “over the next few days,” its website stated Tuesday. Those interested in being vaccinated at CVS can schedule an appointment here. CVS’s vaccination search/scheduling tool will be updated when each location receives boosters, reflecting that information.
Since the start of the pandemic, CVS Health has administered more than 73 million COVID-19 vaccines to patients across the country. The company continues to provide communities with convenient access to vaccines at CVS Pharmacy including the new bivalent COVID-19 boosters, the approved COVID-19 primary series, as well as flu and several other vaccinations, such as pneumonia and shingles.
