Experts don’t expect these minor mutations to have any effect on the vaccine’s safety profile. Instead, they relied on data from the first round of booster shots and from a very similar bivalent COVID-19 vaccine - one that targets the original coronavirus strain and also BA.1, an omicron subvariant that “only differs slightly from BA.4 and BA.5,” said Peter Marks, M.D., director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the U.S. (This is not an uncommon process for vaccines that need a strain update, much like the annual flu shot.) Health officials approached the approvals for the retooled omicron boosters, also known as bivalent vaccines, a bit differently this time around, since clinical trials testing the BA.4- and BA.5-specific shots were still happening at the time of their authorization. Here’s what to expect if you go in for the jab.
Still, some people have questions about the new omicron boosters, including the side effects they can cause. Children as young as 6 months old are also eligible for an updated booster if they were vaccinated with Moderna. Health officials are recommending that fully vaccinated individuals 5 years and older roll up their sleeves for the added dose of protection against the illness that has taken more than 1.08 million American lives.
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