Things to know about updates COVID-19 vaccine boosters

While the COVID-19 vaccines were relatively new and significantly experimental, as the time passes, researchers are able to get a better view of the virus and have developed updated COVID-19 boosters. The new vaccines are soon expected to hit the pharmacies or clinics nearby. The United States Food and Drug Administration has given a green signal to the updated vaccines  that will not just be targeting the original strain of the Omicron variant  but also its infamous sub variants BA.4 and BA.5.

With the authorization of the new and updated vaccines, there are hopes that they will help to improve protection against the virus that are currently circulating and cause COVID-19. These are known as the bivalent boosters that carry instructions to help the cells create a defense against the two strains of the virus that cause COVID-19. The vaccine helps the body to make anti-bodies that are responsible to bind in certain parts of the spike proteins from the original strain as well as the new strains of Omicron. In the United States, the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of Omicron are dominant and are causing an average of 91,000 new infections on an everyday basis.

Dr. Gregory Poland, the lead researcher from Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota said the new vaccines have been manufactured and delivered to be identical to the COVID mRNA vaccines that are already been administered to millions of people. Poland added that it is just the blueprints that have been changed. It is also clarified that receiving twice the blueprints does not mean that people would receive twice the amount of active ingredients.

The booster by Pfizer is a 30 mg dose that has 15 micrograms of mRNA and is authorized for people who are as young as 12 years. The company is also making changes in the vaccine for children between ages 5 to 11. The authorization of those updated boosters will be done by October, 2022.

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