Omicron boosters are now available. What to know about the new COVID-19 shots in SC
The latest COVID-19 booster shots designed to target the dominant Omicron subvariants will be available at various vaccine providers across South Carolina this week, officials said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended the new Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna booster vaccinations to better protect individuals against the virus’ most contagious strains, BA.4 and BA.5, which together have become dominant in the U.S. and continue to infect thousands of people.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said it expects the new boosters, which also protect against the original coronavirus strain, to be available around the state later this week. However, some retail pharmacies may already have some, officials said.
In July, Omicron’s BA.5 subvariant emerged as the dominant strain in South Carolina and now accounts for 45% of all new cases in the state since late May, according to DHEC data.
But is another booster really necessary? Here’s what we know about the new shots.
What’s in the new booster?
The new shots, known as bivalent vaccines, are intended to protect against the original COVID-19 strain and the Omicron ones. They include an mRNA component of the original strain, plus BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components, which make the vaccines more effective against Omicron, other variants and subvariants, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Federal health experts predict BA.4 and BA.5 will cause a resurgence this fall and winter, so the boosters will work to “restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination by targeting variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading,” the CDC said in a news release.
The adaption of the COVID-19 vaccine is similar to how the flu vaccine is altered every year, DHEC officials said.
Who is eligible?
The FDA authorized Pfizer-BioNTech’s updated booster for those age 12 and older. The one for Moderna is authorized for those age 18 and older.
To be eligible, individuals need to have completed their primary vaccination series and have received their last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine at least two months ago, according to the FDA.
And those who’ve recently had COVID-19 should wait at least three months since they were sick to get the new shot, DHEC’s Public Health Director Dr. Brannon Traxler said Tuesday during a media briefing.
Out of South Carolina’s five million residents, 58.3% have been fully vaccinated and 69.3% have received at least one dose, according to the CDC. And out the state’s three million residents who’ve been fully vaccinated, 42.6% got at least one booster shot, according to the CDC.
Since May, those age 12 and older who are immunocompromised and those age 50 and older have been authorized to get a second booster at least four months after their first. For some, the updated booster could be their fifth dose.
Traxler suggested South Carolinians who are unsure if they’re eligible for the new shots call their healthcare providers.
“Regardless of whether they got booster one and two or if this is their first booster, the rule of thumb really is that they need to wait at least two months since their last booster dose or even primary series dose if this is their first booster,” she said.
When will the boosters be available?
Even before the FDA authorized the bivalent vaccines on Aug. 31 for emergency use authorization, DHEC officials worked with statewide vaccine providers “to be ready to order the new vaccine as soon as it was authorized and approved,” the department said.
DHEC officials said the new shots will be available at vaccine providers by the end of this week.
Individuals can find vaccine providers across South Carolina online at DHEC’s vaccine locator. People can also schedule appointments at pharmacy chains, including CVS and Walgreens, online.
“We encourage all South Carolinians to stay current on their recommended COVID-19 vaccinations and for those who are eligible to receive this safe and effective booster to do so once they’re available in the next few days,” Traxler said.
Are the new boosters safe?
The new shots have garnered some pushback because clinical trials are still underway, so the results in humans aren’t yet available, and Traxler said DHEC is aware of those concerns.
She pointed out, like many other health officials have, that federal health agencies approve a new version of the flu shot every year without testing it in people first. And there’s other evidence that show the new boosters are safe, Traxler said.
The FDA evaluated clinical trial results for a similar booster that used the initial Omicron strain, known as BA.1, spike protein component instead of the BA.4 and BA.5 ones, which proved to be safe and effective, Traxler said. Plus, laboratory studies in mice show that the exact updated boosters significantly increase antibody levels against Omicron, she said.
Omicron has been the dominant variant in the U.S. for about a year and every subvariant has become more transmissible than the last. In a few months, BA.5 now makes up more than 88% of new cases nationwide, according to the CDC.
Which booster should I get?
Between the three COVID-19 vaccines initially approved in 2021 and numerous booster recommendations, there’s a few shot combinations people could have received.
And for those trying to decide whether they should get the Pfizer or Moderna updated booster, Traxler said as long as an individual is eligible, either shot is fine.
“It does not matter which version or versions you’ve had in the past, either one is good and acceptable,” she said.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 8:30 AM with the headline "Omicron boosters are now available. What to know about the new COVID-19 shots in SC."
