New COVID booster vaccine protects against new strains of virus

[Fox 9 News, October 03, 2022] Fall is in full swing now, and doctors say it's time for people to roll up their sleeves and get the updated COVID-19 booster shot.

"The first thing to recognize is that this one is different. It's bivalent. By that, we mean it's got two different vaccine strains represented in it. It's got the original Wuhan strain, and it's got strains like the ones that are circulating in the United States right now: the BA4 and BA5," said Dr. Frank Rhame, an infectious disease specialist at Allina Health.

The bivalent booster shot is designed to target the most common Omicron strains. People are eligible for the updated booster shots if it’s been at least three months since they had the COVID-19 infection and at least two months since their last standard COVID-19 vaccine.

WCCO Radio also interviewed Dr. Rhame on this topic.

Posted on October 03, 2022 in