Bivalent booster doses against COVID-19 provide additional protection against the need for urgent care and hospitalizations associated with the disease, according to a report from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Last September, the CDC recommended the use of booster doses of bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which contain the omicron subvariant component BA.4 and BA.5, to better protect against newer strains .
Because of the waning immunity conferred by the monovalent vaccine, the effectiveness of bivalent vaccines is greater with time since the previous monovalent dose, the CDC explained.
The effectiveness of a bivalent booster dose, following previous monovalent vaccines, against COVID-19-associated hospitalizations is 57 percent compared to no vaccination, and 45 percent compared to the monovalent dose given 11 months earlier, CDC data showed.
Despite promising numbers, vaccine uptake has been low. Only 14 percent of eligible Americans ages five and older have received the omicron-specific booster, The Washington Post reported.
The CDC has asked the public to stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including the bivalent booster dose if eligible. (Xinhua Information Agency).
