Most Americans are now eligible for reformulated COVID-19 booster shots, and many are no doubt wondering what side effects they might be dealing with when it comes to the new “bivalent” shots.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration signed off on the new booster shots over Labor Day weekend. The syringes made by Pfizer and Moderna are specially formulated to offer protection against Omicron subvariants of COVID-19, and health experts are urging Americans to get the syringes as soon as possible as cooler weather approaches.
Here’s what we know so far.
What side effects can I expect?
According to the CDC, side effects for bivalent boosters are expected to be similar to those patients have experienced after previous vaccine doses.
The most important side effect reported by the majority of patients is pain at the injection site, according to the CDC. Other common symptoms include fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills, nausea and vomiting, and fever.
Other side effects, including severe allergic reactions, are extremely rare with the COVID vaccines, but most of these effects occur shortly after injection, with medical professionals monitoring your condition for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine.
Patients are encouraged to report any adverse reactions to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System or V-safe.
What’s different about this booster shot?
The latest booster shots offered by medical providers have been specifically formulated to protect individuals from the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna booster shots, approved by the federal government for use in an emergency, are so-called “bivalent” vaccines that protect against both the original COVID-19 virus and Omicron strains.
Dosing amounts are the same as previous recordings, according to the CDC.
according to dr Chicago Department of Health Commissioner Allison Arwady says people who have recently contracted COVID can wait a few months before receiving an Omicron booster.
What if I recently had COVID?
While the new boosters have been approved for most Americans, those recently diagnosed with COVID are advised to wait a short time after their symptoms resolve.
Patients should wait “at least a few weeks” before receiving the booster if they’ve recently been diagnosed with COVID, according to doctors at Northeastern University. The booster shot may not elicit as strong an immune response in a patient who recently had COVID, and residual immunity to the infection should provide extra protection while awaiting the new dose, experts say.
Studies are still ongoing to determine the best course of action, but North East professor Brandon Dionne suggests waiting two to three months from the date of infection to receive a booster dose of the vaccine.
