Californians could soon get another COVID booster to fight omicron. Here’s what to know

The Food and Drug Administration signed off on a reformulated COVID-19 booster shots Wednesday designed to target the omicron variant just in time for fall.

The omicron variant is currently causing the most COVID-19 cases across the U.S. and it’s expected to circulate into winter, the FDA wrote in a statement authorizing the newest booster shots. Both Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna’s single-dose bivalent COVID-19 vaccines target the original strain of the coronavirus, plus the “lineages of the dominate omicron variant.”

“As we head into fall and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” said FDA commissioner Dr. Robert Califf in a statement.

The new booster still needs sign off from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC will discuss it Thursday and develop guidance on who should receive the shot first.

After peaking earlier this summer, California is seeing a downturn in daily COVID cases, currently sitting at a 8,314 daily case average, according to the state.

Here’s what we know:

How does the bivalent COVID-19 booster work?

The authorized bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include both a component of the original strain of COVID-19 and the omicron variant to strengthen the body’s immune response to the virus.

Individuals who receive the bivalent COVID-19 booster can expect similar side effects of taking the original vaccine, the FDA wrote in a statement. The possible side effects commonly reported include:

▪ Pain, redness and soreness around the area where the vaccine was injected

▪ Tiredness

▪ Headache

▪ Muscle pain

▪ Chills

▪ Fever

▪ Nausea

For more commonly reported side effects of the original COVID-19 vaccine, visit the CDC’s website at cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Am I eligible for the booster shot?

The updated boosters are only for people who have been fully vaccinated for at least two months or have received the most recent COVID-19 booster shot, the FDA stated.

People 18 and older would be eligible for a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 bivalent vaccine. Individuals 12 and older would be eligible for a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent vaccine.

When can I get the booster shot?

The U.S. has purchased more than 170 million doses from the two companies, the AP reported Wednesday. Pfizer said it could ship up to 15 million of those doses by the end of next week.

Eligible Californians will soon be able to get boosted at their nearest CVS Pharmacy.

The American retail company plans to administer both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines once the CDC gives the green light to do so, said CVS West region spokesperson Monica Prinzing in an email statement to The Bee.

CVS locations across California will receive its vaccine supply over the next few days. Then eligible residents will be able to make an appointment on the CVS Pharmacy website or on the CVS Pharmacy app.

Rite Aid, a Pennsylvania-based drugstore with pharmacies across California, told The Bee it “looks forward to providing the updated COVID vaccine booster to eligible customers.”

It will follow CDC guidance in releasing scheduling information for the updated booster shot.

This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 10:42 AM.