As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread throughout the nation, Montgomery County is taking steps to protect its citizens from the virus and its many variants.
On Sept. 1, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially endorsed a new type of booster shot: the single-dose bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine. According to CDC director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., this new booster will “provide broader protection against newer variants.”
The bivalent vaccine achieves this level of security against “more transmissible and immune-evading” variants by including two components. The first component is a strain of the original virus, providing general protection against COVID-19. The second component is a combination of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike proteins, which offer increased protection against the virus’s newer Omicron variants.
On Sept. 2, 2022, the Maryland Department of Health approved the use of the bivalent booster across the state. The Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose was approved for all individuals aged 12 and older, for whom at least two months have passed since their latest coronavirus vaccine or booster shot. The Moderna bivalent booster was approved for all individuals aged 18 and older, for whom at least two months have passed since their latest COVID-19 vaccination.
On Sept. 6, 2022, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services announced via Twitter that a “limited amount” of bivalent vaccines were available at county clinics and local pharmacies. In total, the county received 1,100 doses of the booster shot. Montgomery County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Manager Sean O’Donnell has already stated plans to request additional doses for distribution.
The administration of this new booster shot is part of an ongoing effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Montgomery County. Although 90.0% of Montgomery County residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, only 58.7% have received vaccine boosters or additional doses.
Some Montgomery County students have expressed support for the new bivalent booster. “The older vaccines were made for the virus we knew about at the time, so it makes sense that they’re adding new boosters to keep up with the new variants,” Richard Montgomery High School senior Ruth Taddesse said. When asked if she would consider getting the new booster shot, Taddesse responded that she “would definitely consider getting it and would encourage others to as well.”
Richard Montgomery senior Liz Frisbie, who received the bivalent COVID-19 booster on Sept. 23, said that she “wanted to [get the booster shot] because the new variants are a lot more contagious than the old ones,” rendering her previous vaccine less effective. “I feel a lot safer with the new booster,” Frisbie said.
In the face of an ever-evolving challenge, the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine provides the opportunity for Montgomery County residents to plan ahead and protect themselves against a devastating disease. For more information, visit the Montgomery County government’s COVID-19 Information Portal or visit Maryland’s Vaccine Locator to schedule your bivalent booster appointment.
Written by Chloe Goldberg of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo Courtesy of Kiana Hajikarimloo of Northwest High School