Updated COVID-19 boosters should be available by the end of this week, DHEC says
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said the updated COVID-19 boosters should be available by the end of the week.Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Public Health Director, said the new booster shots are safe and are designed to offer greater protection against the omicron variant and subvariants. “The updated COVID-19 boosters contain both a component that is the original vaccine formulation and they have added the omicron Ba.4 and omicron Ba.5 spike protein components,” said Traxler. “The addition of these components helps restore protection and makes the vaccine more effective against the omicron variant and subvariants and other variants.”The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the updated boosters earlier this month. According to the CDC, the updated Pfizer booster is available for people 12 and older while the updated Moderna booster is available for those 18 and older. Dr. Surabhi Gaur, the chief medical officer for Bon Secours St. Francis, said the hospital continues to treat people with COVID-19. She said she does recommend the updated booster. “It has the same small amount of risks and definitely the same amount of benefit as it did before,” said Gaur. Traxler said people who recently had COVID-19 should wait three months from the time they were infected to get the updated booster. DHEC said people can visit its vaccine locator website to find a vaccine location.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said the updated COVID-19 boosters should be available by the end of the week.
Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Public Health Director, said the new booster shots are safe and are designed to offer greater protection against the omicron variant and subvariants.
“The updated COVID-19 boosters contain both a component that is the original vaccine formulation and they have added the omicron Ba.4 and omicron Ba.5 spike protein components,” said Traxler. “The addition of these components helps restore protection and makes the vaccine more effective against the omicron variant and subvariants and other variants.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the updated boosters earlier this month. According to the CDC, the updated Pfizer booster is available for people 12 and older while the updated Moderna booster is available for those 18 and older.
Dr. Surabhi Gaur, the chief medical officer for Bon Secours St. Francis, said the hospital continues to treat people with COVID-19. She said she does recommend the updated booster.
“It has the same small amount of risks and definitely the same amount of benefit as it did before,” said Gaur.
Traxler said people who recently had COVID-19 should wait three months from the time they were infected to get the updated booster.
DHEC said people can visit its vaccine locator website to find a vaccine location.
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