UVA Health: Covid-19 booster update

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - UVA Health is discussing the possibility of an annual COVID-19 booster.

The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine recently became available, and it’s the first new formula since the vaccines were first distributed in 2020.

Experts say it offers better protection against current forms of the virus, and such shots could become annual starting this fall.

“The risk for the serious outcomes of infection are reduced drastically as people been vaccinated. Getting boosted on an annual basis would be a reasonable solution moving forward,” Doctor Costi Sifri said.

The annual booster plan could change if a new variant causes a major surge, and those who are at higher risk may need more than one shot per year.

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