Interim Town Manager Mary Gallivan and Public Health Director Colleen Fermon wish to share the following information about COVID-19 vaccinations and new options that will be available to the public.
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters, which will be available in Massachusetts starting this week. These updated boosters COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, targeting variants that are more transmissible and immunity-evading.
Individuals 18 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the bivalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
Also, the FDA has approved the Novavax vaccine for ages 12 years and up. Novavax is an alternative to mRNA vaccines. It also contains spike protein components, but does not enter cell nuclei or interact with DNA. This approach is also used in Pertussis and Hepatitis B vaccines.
Staying up to date on vaccines, including boosters, is the most effective way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. While vaccine protection decreases over time, boosters restimulate the immune system and increase vaccine efficacy again. Boosters are an important defense, even if one has had COVID.
Boosters are available at many locations across the Commonwealth, including doctor’s offices, hospitals, pharmacies, and community health clinics. The Greater Cape Ann Community Coalition also will begin offering the Novovax and bivalent booster shots.
Visit the VaxFinder tool at vaxfinder.mass.gov for a list of locations to receive a booster. Residents will be able to narrow results to search for locations that are offering the booster of their choice.
If you are unable to use VaxFinder, or have difficulty accessing the internet, please contact the COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line (Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) by calling 2-1-1 and following the prompts. The COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line is available in English and Spanish and has translators available in approximately 100 additional languages.
More information is available at www.mass.gov/covidbooster.