New COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

Fall semester activities are now underway in Yale College and each of the graduate and professional schools. With many traveling to New Haven and gathering for social events, we have seen an increase in COVID-19 infections on campus. However, the COVID-19 community level for New Haven county, as measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), remains at medium. This is a reminder that, while vaccination and treatment have greatly increased the odds that COVID-19 infections remain relatively mild, there are additional measures each of us can take to reduce our risk of becoming infected. Continued precautions are particularly important for those at higher risk or who have household members at higher risk for severe illness.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized, and the CDC recommended, the use of new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters to bolster and expand the protection we received from earlier vaccines. In this message, I will provide more information about these vaccine boosters and let you know where and when to get them.

What are “bivalent” boosters?

The FDA has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters from both Pfizer-BioNTech (for ages 12 and older) and Moderna (for ages 18 and older). The CDC has recommended that eligible individuals receive these bivalent boosters at least two months after a previous booster or, if not yet boosted, two months after a final dose of a primary series vaccination.

What sets these boosters apart from previously available booster shots? Monovalent vaccines used in primary vaccination series and previous booster shots include a component that provokes an immune response to the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus. The bivalent boosters continue to include this component but add another one that triggers an immune response to a common component of two Omicron sub-variants, BA.4 and BA.5. These are currently the most common strains of COVID-19 in the United States.

Who should get a bivalent booster?

Bivalent boosters are recommended for anyone:

• Over the age of 12 who has received a primary series with an authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of how many monovalent boosters they have received; and
• Who last received a COVID-19 vaccine, either in a primary series or a monovalent booster shot, at least two months ago.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Monovalent boosters will no longer be authorized for anyone over the age of 12.
• The monovalent Pfizer vaccine remains authorized for use as a single booster dose for those ages 5 to 11.
• The monovalent Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines continue to be administered for primary vaccination series.
• You may receive a booster dose that does not correspond to the vaccine you received for the primary series or previous boosters. For example, if you received the Moderna vaccine as your primary series, you may receive the Pfizer bivalent booster.

When considering when to get a booster shot, please be aware that vaccine recommendations are based on age, how long it has been since your last dose of vaccine, and whether you are immunocompromised. The CDC has published a helpful tool to guide you through these considerations. Note that the CDC refers to the bivalent booster as the “updated booster.”

Where are the bivalent vaccines available?

The Yale COVID-19 Vaccine Program (the Yale Program) is now providing online scheduling for bivalent booster shots for faculty, staff, students, and Yale Health members. Appointments at the 310 Winchester Avenue clinic will be available beginning Thursday, September 8. Bivalent boosters will soon be available at pharmacies and clinics around the state.

Starting the week of September 12, those (ages 18 and older) who have scheduled a COVID-19 booster at 310 Winchester Avenue will have the option to get their flu vaccine at the same time. Scheduling for other campus-wide flu clinics is now available through the Flu Shot Finder.

While we must remain vigilant about public health conditions on campus and in the wider New Haven area and beyond, there is reason to be optimistic about the days ahead. Advancements in vaccines and treatments have greatly reduced the risk of severe COVID-19, and our community has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the health and safety measures designed to keep us as safe as possible. With this in mind, we can look forward to the many activities that invigorate our campus life.

Stephanie S. Spangler, MD
Vice Provost for Health Affairs and Academic Integrity
Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
University COVID-19 Coordinator