The updated COVID booster shots are here. Stanislaus residents can make appointments
Pharmacy chains are setting appointments for people to get the updated booster shots for COVID-19, and major healthcare providers in the region will start administering the shots as supply allows.
CVS and Walgreens are offering the vaccine boosters at pharmacies in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, including locations in Modesto, according to their websites.
A CVS spokesperson said Wednesday its pharmacies are receiving supplies on a rolling basis. People can use a CVS Pharmacy app or go to CVS.com to find locations near them where the booster shots are available.
The FDA approved an emergency use authorization Aug. 31 for the updated Moderna and Pfizer booster shots, designed to boost antibodies for the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the widely spread omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the updated boosters for adults and young people 12 years and older to give them continued protection against COVID-19 illness. The two omicron subvariants are responsible for most COVID-19 infections in the United States.
The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are expected to keep spreading in the fall and winter, said Kaiser Permanente, in announcing that the updated boosters will be provided to members in all of its markets by Sept. 20.
Kaiser said it will administer the booster shot by appointment as supply allows. Many areas in the Kaiser system should have the updated boosters before Sept. 20.
“Supply may be limited in the first few weeks, but we expect consistent supply thereafter,” Kaiser’s announcement said. Its members can check kp.org for availability of appointments.
Sutter Health, another major healthcare provider in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, said Wednesday it’s offering updated booster doses for eligible individuals ages 12 and older. Sutter patients can make an appointment through a call center at 844-987-6115. Sutter patients should soon be able to schedule appointments online through a patient portal.
“Initial appointment availability may be limited in some areas,” a Sutter spokesperson said in a prepared statement. “We’re adding more locations and appointment slots each week as supply from the state increases.”
The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency hopes to start administering the updated booster shot by appointment this week but is waiting for vaccine shipments, a spokeswoman said. The agency said appointments can be made on the state’s MyTurn program.
Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said the updated, bivalent boosters for COVID-19 are formulated to protect against the most recent strains of the virus that are circulating, as protection from the previous vaccination has waned. Walensky said the CDC’s recommendation “followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation and robust scientific discussion.”
The FDA authorized the Moderna bivalent booster dose for adults 18 years and older. The Pfizer bivalent booster shot is for people 12 years and older.
The single-dose booster shots can be administered at least two months after the primary vaccination or a previous booster, the FDA said.
The vaccine manufacturers submitted data to the FDA showing the bivalent boosters induced an antibody response for the original COVID virus, as well as a lower, but significant antibody response for the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants, according the journal Science.
With the recent decision, the FDA removed the authorization for the previous monovalent booster shots for COVID-19.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 12:30 PM.
