LEONARDTOWN, MD (December 14, 2022) – The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) will now offer the new bivalent formulation of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for use as a single booster dose for individuals six months of age and older in accordance with updated authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The updated booster is a formula that enhances protection against severe infection from the original coronavirus strain and also the newer Omicron variants that account for most current cases.
Moderna Bivalent Booster
- Children ages 6 months through 5 years who previously completed a Moderna primary series are eligible to receive a Moderna bivalent booster 2 months after their final primary series dose.
- The Moderna bivalent booster is also authorized for use in persons age 6 years and older at least 2 months after completing either: a primary vaccine series with any authorized COVID vaccine, or any authorized monovalent COVID-19 booster.
Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent Booster
- Children ages 6 months through 4 years who are currently completing the three-dose Pfizer primary series will receive the Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose.
- Children ages 6 months through 4 years who have previously completed a 3-dose Pfizer primary series are not authorized for a bivalent booster dose at this time.
- The Pfizer-Biotech bivalent booster is also authorized for use in persons age 5 years and older at least 2 months after completing either: a primary vaccine series with any authorized COVID vaccine, or any authorized monovalent COVID-19 booster.
SMCHD COVID-19 vaccine clinics for children ages 6 months to four years old (Pfizer-BioNTech) and 6 months to five years (Moderna) will be held in indoor clinical settings, by appointment only. COVID-19 vaccinations will not be available via drive-thru for this age population.
For more information or to make a vaccine appointment, please visit: smchd.org/covid-19-vaccine and select the patient age group for available clinic dates. Call SMCHD at (301) 818-0443 for questions or assistance making an appointment over the phone. Please review the allergy guidance and the FAQs for SMCHD COVID-19 Vaccination prior to registering for a vaccine appointment. COVID-19 vaccines are also available through primary care offices and local pharmacies.
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