The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has amended emergency use authorizations to recommend bivalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines be used for all doses administered to those 6 months of age and older. Monovalent COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for use in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices supports these recommendations.
“Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines offer critical protection from severe illness and hospitalizations,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) chief medical executive. “Updating vaccines is a normal part of how we treat and fight diseases like COVID-19. We encourage all residents to stay up to date on all vaccines, including the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine and boosters.”
The original COVID-19 vaccines for most primary and original boosters were monovalent and were created from the original strain of the virus that causes COVID-19. The updated Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are bivalent – meaning they are created with two strains of the virus and include the newer omicron variant strains. The bivalent vaccine is the only type of COVID-19 vaccine created to protect against the most dominant strains circulating in the U.S.
Individuals who were previously vaccinated with monovalent COVID-19 vaccine, and who have not received a dose of bivalent vaccine, may receive a single dose of bivalent vaccine. Individuals who have already received a single dose of bivalent may not be currently eligible for another dose, however, the CDC recommendations allow for an additional updated (bivalent) vaccine dose for adults 65 years and older and additional doses for people who are immunocompromised. Talk to your health care provider about when you may be eligible to receive your COVID-19 bivalent vaccine.
The FDA intends to make decisions about future vaccination schedules after receiving recommendations on the fall strain composition during an FDA advisory committee meeting in June.
Alternatives to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines remain available for people who cannot or will not receive an mRNA vaccine. CDC’s recommendations for use of (monovalent) Novavax or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccines remain unchanged.
For more information on who should receive a vaccine and when, including information on those who are immunocompromised, visit CDC.gov. For information on where to find a COVID-19 vaccine, visit Vaccines.gov.
About Post Author
