New COVID-19 bivalent boosters authorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 2, 2022

LAS VEGAS – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the first updated COVID-19 boosters and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines for their use in people ages 12 years and older. The Southern Nevada Health District has started receiving some of the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccines and expects to begin offering them next week in its clinics.

The Pfizer bivalent booster vaccine is authorized for people ages 12 years and older and the Moderna bivalent booster vaccine is authorized for people ages 18 years and older. These updated COVID-19 vaccines provide additional protection from the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the Omicron variant of the virus, which is currently causing most cases of COVID-19 and is predicted to circulate this fall and winter. The boosters also protect against the original strain of the virus. The new bivalent booster vaccines are authorized as a single booster dose administered at least two months after completion of the primary series with a COVID-19 vaccine or at least two months after receiving the most recent dose of a previously available booster.

“I am pleased that an additional layer of protection is going to be available to our community,” said Dr. Fermin Leguen, District Health Officer for the Southern Nevada Health District. “Vaccines are still the best protection we have against COVID-19, and as the virus evolves, it will be important that the vaccines are updated to offer effective protection again disease and severe illness. I encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated and to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines as long as the virus continues to circulate,” said Dr. Leguen.

The Health District will announce when the vaccines are available in its clinics. Updated COVID-19 clinic information is available at www.snhd.info/covid-vaccine.

The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.