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Oct 3, 2022 · The CDC recommends one bivalent booster dose: For everyone ages 5 years and older if it has been at least two months since your last dose. For children ages 6 months–4 years who completed the Moderna primary series if it has been at least two months since their last dose.
- Overview
- What is a COVID-19 bivalent vaccine?
- What’s the difference between the original COVID-19 vaccines and the bivalent vaccines?
- How effective is the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine?
- Who can get a COVID-19 bivalent vaccine?
- Takeaway
Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines contain two different components. One protects against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, while the other protects against more recent variants.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to evolve over time. This has led to the continued emergence of new viral variants.
New variants differ significantly from the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 that was identified in 2019. For example, a 2022 review notes that, compared to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, the Omicron variant carries at least 60 mutations.
COVID-19 vaccines were developed based on the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. However, the continued evolution of the virus means that these original vaccines may not be as effective against newer variants.
A COVID-19 bivalent vaccine has two different components. These provide two levels of protection.
The first component protects against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. This is the component that was present in the original COVID-19 vaccines. It aims to provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2.
The second component protects against more recent variants of SARS-CoV-2. This helps the COVID-19 vaccines keep pace with the continued evolution of the virus.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized two COVID-19 bivalent vaccines in the fall of 2022. These were mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
The original COVID-19 vaccines were monovalent. This means that they contained one component. Meanwhile, as we discussed earlier, the bivalent vaccines contain two components.
Overall, the side effects of the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine are similar to those of the original COVID-19 vaccine. Some of the most common side effects can include:
•pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site
•fatigue
•fever, with or without chills
•body aches and pains
The COVID-19 bivalent vaccine is effective at protecting from serious illness and death due to COVID-19. However, the protection that it gives decreases in the weeks after it’s given.
One study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2023, included data from roughly a little over 1.2 million people who had received a COVID-19 bivalent booster. Its key findings were:
•The effectiveness against severe infection that resulted in hospitalization or death was:
•67.4%, at 2 weeks after vaccination
•47.5% after 4 weeks
•44.3% after 10 weeks
Currently, the CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 years and older receive a COVID-19 bivalent vaccine. This is regardless of whether you’ve previously had any of the original COVID-19 vaccines.
Children under 6 years old who received the original COVID-19 vaccine can also get the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine. The number of doses used depends on the type of vaccine and number of doses they originally received, as well as age.
Some individuals may get a second dose of the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine. This includes:
•adults ages 65 years and older: recommended time frame is 4 or more months after their first dose of the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine
COVID-19 bivalent vaccines contain two components. One protects against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, while the other protects against more recent Omicron subvariants.
The COVID-19 bivalent vaccine effectively protects against serious illness or death due to COVID-19, although protection wanes with time. Its side effects are similar to the original monovalent vaccine.
Mar 14, 2023 · The FDA amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent to provide for a single booster dose in children 6 months through 4 years of age at...
Jun 15, 2023 · FDA authorizes and CDC recommends, with a single ACIP vote, 1) a single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine for persons aged ≥12 years 2 or more months after receipt of a primary series or previous monovalent booster dose and 2) a single dose of Moderna bivalent vaccine for adults aged ≥18 years 2 or more months after receipt of a ...
May 17, 2023 · If you are 65 and older, you are eligible for an additional bivalent booster if you had your primary COVID-19 vaccine and are at least four months out from a previous bivalent booster shot.
- kathy.katella-cofrancesco@yale.edu
Oct 24, 2022 · The CDC recommends that adults and children ages 5 and older receive the bivalent booster if it has been at least two months after completing the primary series dose or a monovalent booster.
Feb 13, 2023 · The bivalent boosters are designed to address both the original strain of the virus and the more contagious omicron variants that have emerged since. In fact, even as newer variants—like BQ.1, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1.5 —become dominant in the U.S., the bivalent boosters are continuing to protect against severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
