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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah should have over 100,000 doses of the new COVID-19 booster shot by next week, according to Rich Lakin with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services' immunization program.
The updated booster, known as COVID-19 bivalent vaccines, as opposed to monovalent like the previous vaccines, target multiple strains — including the original strain and two omicron variants which are currently the most widespread, BA.4 and BA.5. The updated boosters produced by both Moderna and Pfizer were approved Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection.
The boosters could begin shipping to states on Friday, according to a news release from Utah's department of health, and most providers will see them next week.
"Please be patient as providers begin to receive the updated booster doses and update their systems to reflect current inventory," Lakin said.
To be eligible for the bivalent booster dose, Utahns must be older than 18 for the Moderna booster and older than 12 for the Pfizer booster. Additionally, it must be at least two months since they received their last COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot.
The state health department suggested anyone with an appointment to get a booster should ask to be rescheduled for when one of the updated boosters is available. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is removing authorization for the current monovalent booster for everyone older than 12 to reduce confusion with vaccine administration.
Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist, said data from the Southern Hemisphere suggests the flu season may hit harder this year, and COVID-19 transmission is also expected to increase in the winter.
"We encourage all Utahns to stay up-to-date on their immunizations. As fall approaches, it's important that you have as much protection from vaccine-preventable illnesses like flu and COVID-19 as possible," Nolen said.
