Bivalent COVID-19 booster available in Allegheny County
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) - The new bivalent COVID-19 booster shots are now available in Allegheny County.
They're combination or "bivalent" shots that contain half the original vaccine that's been used since December 2020 and half protection against today's dominant omicron versions, BA.4 and BA.5. It's the first update to COVID-19 vaccines ever cleared by the FDA.
Allegheny County's vaccine clinic, health care providers and pharmacies in the county are now offering both the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent vaccines, which were recently approved by the FDA and CDC.
Updated shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech are authorized for anyone 12 and older, and rival Moderna's version is for adults. They're to be used as a booster for anyone who's already had their primary vaccination series -- using shots from any U.S.-cleared company -- and regardless of how many boosters they've already gotten.
The FDA set the minimum wait time between the original booster and bivalent booster at two months. But advisers to the CDC said it's better to wait longer. Some advise at least three months, another said someone who's not at high risk might wait as long as six months.
To find somewhere to get vaccinated, click here. To schedule a booster at the health department's immunization clinic on the fourth floor of 425 First Avenue in Pittsburgh, call 412-578-8062 or walk in.
