New bivalent COVID-19 boosters begin going into arms | Where to get one

According to the CDC, an average of 342 people per day are dying in the US from COVID-19.

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Wednesday, September 7, 2022
New bivalent COVID-19 boosters begin going into arms
"COVID is becoming like the flu," said Emily Capella of Cherry Hill. "And I get a flu shot every year to kind of protect myself and I feel the same about COVID."

CHERRY HILL, New Jersey (WPVI) -- As shipments of new bivalent boosters are being delivered, people in south Jersey are ready to roll up their sleeves.

"COVID is becoming like the flu," said Emily Capella of Cherry Hill. "And I get a flu shot every year to kind of protect myself and I feel the same about COVID. I feel that's kind of like taking the same route."

Rhonda Drossner thinks the new boosters need more testing.

"They're not 100% on it," she said.

These new bivalent vaccines that are making their way to pharmacies and health centers target the original strain of COVID-19 and the omicron variant.

Even if you've already had a booster or two, the CDC says you should still get this one.

"So if you had a booster that was the mono alert booster. The CDC is recommending you do get boosted with a bivalent booster," said immunologist Amanda Norvell, dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Stockton University.

According to the CDC, an average of 342 people per day are dying in the US from COVID-19.

Norvell said these variant-specific boosters are a big step.

"One of the things about this technology that is so exciting and makes it a great leap forward is the ability to tailor it to the specific variant and to do it relatively quickly," she said.

The CDC recommends waiting two months after your most recent shot.

Experts Action News spoke with recommend waiting three months after a COVID-19 infection.

"You've got natural antibodies from having the infection so you want to wait until the antibody level drops a little bit. And about 90 days is a good rule of thumb," said Carole Kenner, Dean of Nursing at The College of New Jersey.

Most places are requiring that you schedule appointments online.

Find an updated COVID-19 booster shot in New Jersey

Schedule an updated COVID-19 booster shot at Walgreens

Schedule an updated COVID-19 booster shot at RiteAid