The Fourth COVID-19 Booster Is Coming Soon – Here’s Why this One Is so Special!

The Fourth COVID-19 Booster Is Coming Soon – Here’s Why this One Is so Special!
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According to federal health officials’ current projections, it’s possible that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be made available for most American citizens in early September.
This new booster is apparently developed in such a way that it specifically targets Omicron’s subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in addition to also further building immunity to the original SARS-CoV-2 strains, reason for which it’s called “bivalent.”
According to a CNBC report, while Pfizer’s booster is expected to be made available as soon as it gets federally approved in early September, Moderna’s booster might become available later on.
Multiple reports say that US citizens who are yet to get their fourth shot will be able to do so not too long after Labor Day.
When compared to previous boosters, eligibility for this one will be wider, being able to help more than just the elderly and the immunocompromised.
Director at the University of California, Irvine’s program in public health, Bernadette Boden-Albala, explains that this “bivalent” booster aims to rebuild immunity to the initial strain of the virus as well.
Boden-Albala shared via Good Housekeeping that “A ‘bivalent’ booster means that it will target 2 different antigens, meaning that it will respond to the original coronavirus strain as well as the Omicron variant. [Healthcare officials] found that the original vaccine has not been as responsive to newer variants as we hoped, hence why we need these bivalent boosters.”
Pfizer’s booster will be available for all those aged 12 and up while initial reports say Moderna’s booster will only target those over the age of 18.
If everything goes well in the manufacturing process, vaccines should be rolled out to clinicians all over the country starting with the second or third week of September.
Depending on how fast the manufacturers are and whether or not there are any supply chain issues, it’s possible that higher risk people will be prioritized, as per White House officials.
So what’s so special about this newly developed booster?
Boden-Albala explains that “The original vaccine series provides a foundation for full coverage, but as we begin seeing these other variants, the boosters specifically trigger the immune system to fight new strains. The hope is that these boosters will protect us against further COVID surges and any additional variants. Vaccines are effective, but these boosters are only [further] helping our immune systems target the variants that continue to pop up.”


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Katherine is just getting her start as a journalist. She attended a technical school while still in high school where she learned a variety of skills, from photography to nutrition. Her enthusiasm for both natural and human sciences is real so she particularly enjoys covering topics on medicine and the environment.

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