COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Shot Q&A for Clinicians
Emergency use authorizations for the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines have been amended by the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize single booster doses of new bivalent formulations of each that target the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The recommendations for who is eligible for the revised vaccines and when may be causing some confusion among primary care patients—and clinicians as well.
Patient Care reviewed the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Interim Clinical Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccination page to cull the most frequently asked questions primary care clinicians may have about the revised formulations and their administration. Following are the 7 questions—and answers—that cover the basics for both physicians and patients.
Q: Who is recommended to receive a bivalent COVID-19 booster dose?
Q: What is the interval between administration of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series and the bivalent booster dose?
Q: My patient already received a monovalent COVID-19 booster dose(s). What is the interval between a previously received monovalent booster dose and the bivalent booster dose?
Q: My patient already received 1 or 2 of the previously recommended monovalent COVID-19 booster doses. Can they get a bivalent booster dose?
Q: My patient already received a monovalent COVID-19 booster dose when they intended to get a bivalent booster dose. Should the dose be repeated as a bivalent booster dose?
Q: My patient accidently received a dose of the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine instead of a monovalent primary series dose. What should be done?
Q: My patient accidently received a dose of the Moderna bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine instead of a monovalent primary series dose. What should be done?
