VERIFY | Can you get a second bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster?

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 vaccine guidelines changed again recently, but people in the DMV are saying that some local pharmacists have denied them booster shots, against the CDC’s guidance.

THE QUESTION

Can older people or immunocompromised adults get additional COVID-19 vaccine booster shots?

THE ANSWER

THE SOURCES

The CDC on April 19 updated its recommendations about who can get COVID vaccine booster shots and which kind.

The CDC no longer recommends the original mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna. Instead, it recommends their newer, bivalent versions. Those protect against the original variants as well as the omicron variant. For people who can not and chose not to get an mRNA vaccine, the Novavax and Johnson & Johnson shots are still okay.

The CDC approved the bivalent vaccines for people as young as six years old in December 2022. It now recommends everyone aged six and older get a dose of the bivalent vaccine regardless of whether they finished their primary COVID-19 vaccine series.

Individuals aged 65 and older may now get a second booster dose of the bivalent vaccine. Immunocompromised adults may receive additional doses at the discretion of their doctor.

In a video posted to the American Medical Association's website, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, the AMA's board chair and a member of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices COVID-19 work group, said people 65 and older should wait at least four months after their first booster shot before getting their second dose. She added that immunocompromised adults should wait at least two months between doses.

The websites for both CVS and Walgreens include notices telling consumers that the guidelines have changed to allow additional booster shots for people over the age of 65 or adults with immunocompromising conditions.