Gov. Hogan announced wide availability of new COVID vaccine in Maryland after Labor Day
After Labor Day, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced on Friday that new COVID-19 single-dose bivalent boosters would be widely available throughout the state.
There are already dosages of the new boosters that have been pre-positioned around the state. These boosters are designed to target the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike proteins.
Hogan, the governor of Maryland, recommended that all residents aged 12 and older get the new vaccine two months after their most recent COVID vaccination.
“While federal guidance has made it confusing at times for people to know if and when they’re eligible, everyone 12 and older will be able to get to this new shot. Maryland continues to be one of the most vaccinated and boosted states, and we have always focused on staying ahead of the virus, which is why getting this new shot is so critical,” Hogan said in a statement.
Late Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave their stamp of approval to the recommendation made by the agency’s independent vaccine advisers to have a booster shot of the new coronavirus vaccine this fall.
Boosters manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech were recommended by the CDC for those aged 12 and older, while those manufactured by Moderna were recommended for people aged 18 and older. These vaccinations are referred to as “bivalent” vaccines because they are designed to protect against both the original strain of coronavirus as well as the Omicron variant, which is a highly infectious form of the virus.
In its announcement, the CDC said, “Updated COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition. This helps to restore protection that has worn off since the last vaccination by targeting variants that are more contagious and immune-evading.”
More than one million people in the United States have already lost their lives as a result of the coronavirus, and another 95 million instances of the virus have been recorded.
There have been more than 1.2 million confirmed instances of the virus in Maryland, which has been responsible for the deaths of 14,930 people.
People who have been infected with COVID-19 and have recovered from their symptoms are eligible for a booster vaccination, which is what the CDC recommends. However, they can wait up to three months after their infection to get a booster vaccination if they want to.
If a person has gotten an initial two-shot vaccine from either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, then they are advised to wait five months before obtaining their first booster dose. Booster shots are used to prolong the protection against the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that people with weak immune systems and adults over 50 who have already had their first booster shot should wait at least four months before getting their second booster dose.
According to a statement released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, the updated COVID-19 boosters have been “formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant.”
“They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants,” she said. “This recommendation followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation and robust scientific discussion.”
She advised students who were eligible to receive the COVID-19 booster to do so.
The CDC also suggests separating doses of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccination from the COVID-19 booster.
