The Coastal Health District of Georgia serves the counties of Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long & McIntosh

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News & Events


Bivalent Booster Shots Now Available in the Coastal Health District

Stronger protection against COVID-19 is available in the Coastal Health District as all 8 county health departments now offer updated booster shots. These reformulated booster vaccines target the original strain of the COVID-19 virus plus the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. Most new cases reported in Georgia are caused by the BA.5 variant, which means the redesigned booster shots will offer better protection against the currently circulating virus.

“It’s not uncommon for vaccines to be tweaked as viruses mutate,” said Dr. Lawton Davis, Health Director of the Coastal Health District. “You don’t get the same flu shot every fall because the vaccine is redesigned each year to be a better match to the dominant variants. These reformulated COVID boosters follow the same progression, with better protection against the COVID we have now, and not just the COVID of two years ago.”

The redesigned boosters are called “bivalent” because they target more than one variant of COVID. The bivalent booster by Pfizer is authorized for ages 12 and older, and the bivalent booster by Moderna is authorized for ages 18 and up. You can get the booster if it has been at least two months since you completed your initial vaccination, or since your last booster shot.

Only individuals who have completed their primary vaccination series (two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson) are eligible to receive the bivalent booster. For people getting their first COVID vaccines, the original vaccine will continue to be used. Those who have recently received Novovax are not yet eligible for any booster at this time.

Appointments for COVID-19 vaccination, including bivalent boosters, can be scheduled online at chdcovidvax.org or by calling your local county health department.

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