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All About Bivalent Booster Dose – Types, Side Effects & More

Bivalent Booster Dose – In the chaos of the Russia and Ukraine war, Nuclear threats, and rising inflation, you might have forgotten about the dangers of COVID-19 and its infection. The Centers for Disease Control and prevention, along with the Food and Drug Administration, have not forgotten about the health of Americans.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States gave its nod to the latest bivalent booster dose made by Pfizer and moderna in the country. That means Americans can get themselves vaccinated with the latest and updated violent booster dose to prevent the infection of COVID-19.

Previous vaccines for COVID-19 were not as effective as you might think, and it was also accepted by the Food and Drug Administration when they first asked every COVID vaccine manufacturer company in the country to start working on variant-specific booster shots.

A bivalent booster dose has been launched in the country, and it is also being administered at thousands of locations throughout the nation. Anyone in the country can get vaccinated with an updated booster shot. Let’s take a quick look at everything regarding the same to enhance your knowledge and increase your interest in the vaccine.

What is a Bivalent Booster Dose?

The bivalent booster dose is going to contain two different strains of COVID-19. Half of the portion is going to contain the original COVID-19 virus, which was first diagnosed in Wuhan, China, back in 2019. The other half a portion is going to contain the strain of omicron or its sub-variants.

As you might already be aware, most vaccines in the world, including COVID-19 and its booster shots, contain the strains of the virus so that our body can understand how to fight a virus like this. 

The problem with these types of vaccines is that the viruses can change over time due to various circumstances, including the environment. A similar thing is also happening with COVID-19, as the world has not gone to a point where we have a stable version.

A few months ago, the virus of COVID-19 changed its shape and became omicron. It became a huge problem for every COVID vaccine in the world as they became somewhat immune to these vaccines. 

It was later acknowledged by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States, and the oblique health department also asked every COVID vaccine manufacturer in the country to work on bivalent booster dose.

Types of a Bivalent Booster Dose

Till now, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States has given its nod to two different bivalent booster shot manufacturers. Pfizer and Moderna both asked for approval from FDA for their bivalent booster dose, and they both received it at the same time.

Both boosted ones are made with slightly different logic, and that is why the Food and Drug Administration has different eligibility criteria to receive both of them. 

Pfizer bivalent booster dose is going to contain half portion of the original COVID-19 virus and half a portion of the currently dominating sub-variants of COVID-19, such as BA4 and BA5. Health experts in the country believe that a Pfizer bivalent booster dose can provide greater protection against currently dominating variants. 

On the other hand, Moderna bivalent booster doses are going to contain half portion of the original COVID-19 virus vaccine and half a portion of the original omicron virus which is named BA1. Moderna bivalent booster doors are also going to provide better protection against currently dominating variants, but health experts believe that they can also provide some protection against any upcoming variant of omicron.

The Food and Drug Administration of the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not given any preference to any COVID vaccine manufacturer in the country. Both public health departments believe that consumers should research on their own and get the vaccine they like most. 

Bivalent Booster Dose
Bivalent Booster Dose

Side Effects of a Bivalent Booster Dose

Similar to any other COVID vaccine and its booster shots, bivalent booster doses also contain the probability of some side effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged the probability of general and severe side effects of a bivalent booster dose in its press statements.

The whole incident of the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine in the United States has made Americans Skeptical about the use of COVID vaccines and their booster shots.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe that most people who are going to get themselves vaccinated with a bivalent booster dose can experience below given list of general side effects.

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Muscle pain
  • Joint pain
  • Pain on the site of injection
  • Swelling on the site of injection
  • Redness on the site of injection

These are among the most common side effects of bivalent booster doses, and most people are going to experience them after getting the vaccination. The best part about these side effects is that most people won’t even require any over-the-counter medication or medical assistance to recover.

Yes, most people are going to get recovered without any medication, and you should also make sure that you are not consuming any medication without consulting with your healthcare provider.

Allergic Reaction

Allergic reaction is among the most common severe side effects of a bivalent booster dose. This vaccine is also not allergy-proof. If you are allergic to any ingredient used in the vaccine, then you should consult with your healthcare provider before getting the vaccination.

 People who are allergic to anything in the world are also advised to consult regarding all possibilities of an allergic reaction after getting the vaccination. If you experienced an allergic reaction after getting the primary series of COVID vaccines, then you should not take it.

If you are among those people who have already taken the bivalent booster dose and now you are experiencing symptoms such as redness on your face, swelling on your face, swelling on your tongue, rash on your face, hives, difficulty while breathing, then you should call 911 or your healthcare provider. These are all the classical signs of an allergic reaction, and they can cause life-threatening conditions if left untreated.

Eligibility to Receive a Bivalent Booster Dose

Before we talk about the places where you can get yourself vaccinated with valid booster doors in the United States, let’s take a quick look at the eligibility criteria for the same.

Yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put specific eligibility guidelines on the use of a bivalent booster dose, and everyone eligible according to those guidelines should get themselves vaccinated as early as possible.

As you are already aware, there are two different types of bivalent booster doses that have been approved by the Centers for Disease control and prevention, so the eligibility criteria to receive both booster doses is a little bit different. 

Pfizer Bivalent Booster Dose

  • Everyone above the age of 12 is eligible to receive Pfizer bivalent booster doses in the United States.
  • You must be fully vaccinated with any primary series of COVID vaccines to receive it.
  • You must maintain at least a two months gap between your last shot of the COVID vaccine and the Pfizer bivalent booster dose.

Moderna Bivalent Booster Dose

  • Everyone above the age of 18 is eligible to receive moderna bivalent booster doses in the country.
  • You must be fully vaccinated with the primary series to receive a moderna bivalent booster dose.
  • You must maintain at least a two months gap between your last shot of the COVID vaccine and the latest bivalent booster dose.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has mentioned that people who have received any primary series of COVID vaccine along with Moderna bivalent booster dose will be considered up to date with COVID vaccines.

The previous status of date with the COVID vaccine has been provoked for those people who have not received bivalent booster doses.

Where to get a Bivalent Booster Dose?

A bivalent booster dose is available like any other COVID vaccine in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has mentioned in its press release that a bullet booster dose will be available at every pharmacy in the country.

You can simply use the official website of any big pharmacy in the country, such as CVS, Walgreens, or Rite Aid pharmacy, to create your appointment. At the same time, bivalent booster doses will also be available at all Walmart stores throughout the nation.

Due to the high demand for bivalent booster doses, all pharmacies and other vaccination sites have been suggesting everyone create an online appointment. The appointment will ensure your vaccination at your preferred location at Your desired time.

What is the price of a bivalent booster dose in the United States?

A bivalent booster dose is completely free of cost in the United States for every person in the country. The federal government has already made it pretty clear that the COVID vaccine and its booster shots will be available for free to every person in the country regardless of their nationality status.