FDA approves second bivalent covid booster

This is great news! I have two scheduled international trips this year (one beginning in early June, one in September) and I'm thinking that I will hold off on getting the new booster until mid May to give me the best immunity for both trips.

It is good news. I'll only add that my wife and I have all the shots and boosters, but we still caught the omicron variant, which is the "milder" version of COVID. We did not get hospitalized, but we were pretty sick with a fever of 100F for three days and then sort of wiped out for another 2-3 days. Just keep in mind that "less severe" doesn't mean it isn't quite unpleasant.

The FDA’s decision will now be handed off to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has scheduled a meeting with its panel of outside advisers for Wednesday. If the panel votes in favor of the additional boosters, and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, signs off, immunizations could begin immediately.
( From link provided by OP)

Still one more regulatory step before shots happen.

Well, I leave for Scotland in about 2 weeks so I doubt that I will be able to get it.

That said, I did get Covid (for the first time - my grandson brought it home from preschool) around the end of February so hopefully that will give me some immunities to it. And BigMike, you're correct that it doesn't stop you from getting Covid - I had 2 days of fever, and then moderate congestion for about a week or so - but it definitely would have been worse without vaccines and boosters.

Thanks for posting this!

Well, I leave for Scotland in about 2 weeks so I doubt that I will be able to get it.

CDC should sign off tomorrow - if as expected they do, should be able to get a booster this week.

I am flying to Paris 2 weeks from today, will get this booster asap before my trip.

I guess I ought to get the newest, too. I do fit into one of those categories and am leaving for the Adriatic the end of May. I had my last BIvalent booster last September. Thank you for the information, Lindy.

It's been kind of an open secret that if you go to one of the national drug store chains, one can get a second updated booster no questions asked all along (as long as it's been two months since the last shot). A lot of people at work told me about this.
For example I got the updated booster back in September 2022. I was traveling to South Africa last February and Walgreen's gave me another shot at the end of January. They were fully aware of the September shot.

It's been kind of an open secret that if you go to one of the national drug store chains, one can get a second updated booster no questions asked all along (as long as it's been two months since the last shot). I lot of people at work told me about this.

Not my experience. Went to 2 different pharmacies and was refused a shot. (Neither was a Walgreens, so maybe they are less picky?)

I tried at CVS a week ago and they said no. Glad that soon I can get one!

Mardee,
I am a nurse immunizer in British Columbia. You catching Covid in the last 6 months actually gives you a better boost than getting the vaccine now. It’s considered getting a booster here in BC. If you get a real “booster” this soon after infection, your immune response to your Covid infection will not be as robust.

Having had Covid and when to get a booster varies from 3-4-6 months. Check with your doctor and get his/her opinion.
https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/covid-booster-after-covid-breakthrough

For example I got the updated booster back in September 2022. I was traveling to South Africa last February and Walgreen's gave me another shot at the end of January. They were fully aware of the September shot.

I am pretty sure things "changed" with regard to this since when you got the 2nd bivalent in January. I checked with my Walgreen's about a month ago and the answer was a firm "no" but I had asked about it in January and at that time I also could have gotten it again (I got the first one in September). I think it was and still is tied to the early in the year announcement of the ending of the "national emergency" this month that brought the issue into focus for pharmacies and insurers.

All speculation on my part, but I concur with others in this thread reporting that recently it has not been possible to get the 2nd bivalent booster, so something changed since the start of the year. Regardless, once the CDC signs off on it today, anyone who qualifies should be able to get the shot, assuming pharmacies still have shots to give - you may have to shop around...

Susie, thanks so much - that is very good to know! I've been on the fence about it so this decides things. I'll wait till the end of the summer - the 6 months will have passed and summer is usually not as much of a problem anyway.

And Diane, even if it ends at 3 months, that would put me at the end of my trip, which is the end of May (my bout with Covid started around 2/25).

Breaking news: CDC approved the boosters for 65+ in the last hour or so...I am going to inquire at my pharmacy in the morning.

I have my appointment for tomorrow. We'll see what happens for another booster in the fall when I head back to France.

We are 65+, got boosted this morning...next stop, Paris (in 2 weeks).

So happy for you, Jojo Rabbit! I've had two scheduled appointments canceled by Walgreens. I am now double booked at CVS and Walgreens. This happens in my area where the demand is higher than the supply. Have a great time in Paris with one less thing on your mind!

So happy for you, Jojo Rabbit! I've had two scheduled appointments canceled by Walgreens. I am now double booked at CVS and Walgreens. This happens in my area where the demand is higher than the supply. Have a great time in Paris with one less thing on your mind!

Thanks, Lindy. Yes, one less worry knocked off the list. Good luck to you, too.

Updating here because it looks like my other thread has been disappeared - not sure why but the comments were going in the wrong direction probably:

I got the booster shot today at my local CVS and the pharmacist was nice but not what I'd call enthusiastic --
he said and then looked at my vaccine card and confirmed for himself aloud that the shot he was giving me today is the same one I had in September. I replied that if/when an updated recipe comes out later in the year I will get that one then too, but since it has been more than six months since the previous bivalent dose, and there's no obvious downside to getting it again now, I'm happy to get it again now.

Got mine this past Monday.

My husband and I got the first bivalent covid booster in mid-September 2022 (just after it came out) and just before our BOE tour the first of Oct 2022. I attribute that booster to being what “saved” us from catching Covid, as at least 4 people got Covid while on the tour, and 2 of those sat right beside us during a dinner the night before testing positive the following day! Yikes!

We are on 2 consecutive tours starting in mid-June and will be getting another bivalent covid booster next week. I believe the booster was effective in greatly reducing our risk of contracting Covid (along with “smart” masking efforts) so I will gladly line up for another. I’d rather do that then risk missing any of our tours!

Very happy for you tmleigh4! I received mine three weeks ago--Moderna. My reaction, btw, was milder than all other covid shots/boosters I had had previously. I did have an antibodies test performed which showed a "positive" result. I do not know how to interpret the results which were SARS-CoV-2 Spike Ab Dilution 22267. "Negative" is <0.8.
We are traveling in September to France. I might have to get another booster before then. I am hopeful that the RSV vaccine will be available before then, too. Of course, there's always the flu shot as well. . .
Masks have also been successful for us in not getting covid, colds, flu, etc.

“I attribute that booster to being what “saved” us from catching Covid, as at least 4 people got Covid”

We’re planning to get shot 6 before our trip this summer. Four weeks after shot 4, I got Covid. Four weeks after shot 5 (bivalent) my BF got Covid. So, no expectation that it will “save” us from contracting Covid but we just hope it will prevent us from getting really sick.

“no expectation that it will “save” us from contracting Covid”.

I guess I really don’t have an “expectation” that the booster will “save” us from Covid, Donna. I probably phrased that wrong. I do believe it helped in our efforts to stay Covid free. This will be shot/booster # 6 for us as well.

“no expectation that it will “save” us from contracting Covid”.

Thats exactly right, The measure of effectiveness of any of the vaccines has always been preventing serious illness, not immunity from catching it. Details lost in the media and peoples' minds.

I am bummed that the latest bivalent booster won't be accessible to me until after my upcoming RS tour. I'm only 51 and not immuno compromised. I would need to get it by September 1st since my tour starts on September 15th, but don't qualify.

In addition, I got my RSV shot two weeks ago. I had absolutely no reaction not even at the injection site. Nine days until we leave for France! I'll wait to get the new covid shot when it is released for my trip to Costa Rica in December, and, of course, the flu shot.

Has the latest booster been approved? I'm leaving the end of September for a short trip for my 50th high school reunion and my brother's retirement party from Delta, and I will be around lots of people both nights, so I'd love to get boosted before I go.

There's another one coming out soon to combat the latest variant, but I was referring to getting a booster of the current bivalent shot ahead of my tour since it's been almost a year since I got the last one (right b4 France tour).

From NPR, "A meeting of
the CDC's Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices has
been set for September 12 to
discuss the updated COVID-19
booster, likely to be followed by
the CDC director adopting their
recommendation very soon
after and making
recommendations on who
should get the updated shot
Pharmacies and doctors offices
are already gearing up to give
the shot."

RSV can be quite harmful. The RSV vaccine just became available a couple of weeks ago. I consider that vaccine to be just as important as the covid vaccine and flu vaccine. I will wait for the new covid vaccine to become available and get my flu shot at the same time. It's a bit unnerving to jockey getting these at the optimal time!
This is the latest from Dr. Leana Wen: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/24/timing-new-covid-booster-fall/.

In short, she states, "Here’s the bottom line: While some people have specific circumstances prompting them to get a shot now, most Americans can wait until the updated booster is released in late September to early October. That’s because the new booster is expected to provide better coverage against currently circulating variants."
I had heard a few days ago that for those getting the current booster now, they'd have to wait at least two months to get the updated booster once it's available.