Dear NP

Dear NP,

My primary care provider has offered me the bivalent COVID booster. Should I get it if I have already had COVID and multiple COVID vaccines? Are there any different side effects than the original COVID booster? Does it work well?

Dear Reader,

We’d all hoped that COVID-19 infections would be a thing of the past by now, but the reality is that infections continue to occur. Older adults are at the highest risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, and there is a higher risk of death for those over the age of 65.

However, people of any age can catch COVID-19 and pass it on to those in high-risk groups. That’s why the vaccination remains one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the disease.

The newest vaccine is the bivalent booster. It contains protection against the original strain of the virus and the omicron variant, which is currently responsible for most cases in the United States.

The bivalent booster is approved for anyone over the age of 12. If you haven’t received any vaccines yet, the recommendation is to have two doses of the original mRNA vaccine spaced three to four weeks apart and then a dose of the bivalent booster two to three months later.

But many of us received our initial vaccine series a long time ago. If it’s been at least two to three months since your last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s okay to get the bivalent booster. This dose will give you more protection against the current omicron variant.

If you’ve had a COVID-19 infection, you should still plan on getting vaccinated, but you can wait a little longer. Infection with COVID-19 gives you some natural immunity, but it won’t last forever. The best time to get the bivalent booster is about four to six months after infection.

If you’ve already had the original COVID-19 vaccines, you can expect the side effects of the bivalent booster to be about the same. Most people have very few side effects and can continue their normal activities.

The most common side effects include fever, headache, tiredness and soreness at the injection site. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction can happen. Because of this, you’ll be monitored for at least 15 minutes after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The bivalent vaccine works very well to prevent infections from the omicron strain. You’ll have better protection than the original vaccine when you get the booster.

You may also wonder about getting a seasonal flu vaccine at the same time as the COVID-19 booster. It’s okay to do this. Don’t worry about getting the two vaccines together if offered.

It’s better to get vaccinated than worry about getting the flu vaccine later. The populations most affected by COVID-19 are also at higher risk for complications from the flu.

The bottom line is that vaccine-induced immunity to COVID-19 is safe and will protect you from getting COVID-19. Your best protection is to receive the initial series, followed by a booster two to three months later.

If you do get COVID-19, before you receive the bivalent booster, you should wait about four to six months and then get the booster.

Dr. Wesley Davis is an Emergency Nurse Practitioner at Crook County Medical Services District and Coordinator of the Family and Emergency Nurse Practitioner program at the University of South Alabama. He encourages readers to send their questions to [email protected]