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Most recent version of the COVID-19 vaccine
- The bivalent booster is the most recent version of the COVID-19 vaccine. It contains both the original vaccine strain [of the virus] and a strain derived from the BA.5 omicron variant, which is currently dominating here in the U.S., so that we can maximize protection against severe disease and potentially from infection.
publichealth.jhu.edu › Bivalent-Covid-19-Booster-Updates
Oct 3, 2022 · The bivalent booster is the most recent version of the COVID-19 vaccine. It contains both the original vaccine strain [of the virus] and a strain derived from the BA.5 omicron variant, which is currently dominating here in the U.S., so that we can maximize protection against severe disease and potentially from infection.
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What is a bivalent booster?
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Will there be a second bivalent booster?
Are bivalent boosters still effective?
- 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.
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
Feb 13, 2023 · The purpose of the booster is to help you bounce back faster if you do get sick, and to keep you out of the hospital. Studies show it’s doing this well, even with the newer variants. Without the updated booster, you’re more likely to experience more severe symptoms that last longer.
Oct 12, 2022 · The updated boosters are called bivalent because they protect against the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. The previous boosters are monovalent because they were designed to protect against the original virus.
Oct 24, 2022 · What Are the New Bivalent Boosters? The bivalent boosters are developed from the same technology as the original monovalent vaccine, which uses synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) to teach our...
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 least...
