Can you get one shot in SC that protects against several COVID variants? What to know
A new COVID-19 booster vaccination that protects against the latest dominant strain and several variants is headed to South Carolina.
SC Department of Health and Environmental Control officials have said the latest booster should be available at vaccine providers around the state as soon as this week. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially approved the first updated COVID-19 booster vaccination on Sept. 1.
“The authorization of these updated booster shots is another example of how science evolves, just as viruses do, to equip us with the most effective means possible for protecting human health,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC public health director, said in a press release. “I encourage all South Carolinians to stay current on their recommended COVID-19 vaccinations and for those who are eligible to receive this safe and effective booster to do so once they’re available in the coming days.”
The new booster offers better protection against the Omicron variant, which has been the dominant strain of the COVID-19 virus in the U.S. since late 2021, the DHEC states.
However, the updated booster also contains a component that is the original COVID-19 vaccine formulation and has added Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components, which help restore protection and make the vaccines more effective against the Omicron variant, other variants and sub-variants.
“Adapting the COVID-19 vaccine to be most effective against the latest variants is very similar to how the flu vaccine is changed every year to match the most common strains of influenza for that year,” the DHEC states.
The federal recommendation for the updated COVID-19 boosters, which is supported by public health officials at the DHEC, is for:
- The Pfizer-BioNTech updated booster for people ages 12 years and older
- The Moderna updated booster vaccine for people ages 18 years and older
To find a vaccine provider, visit DHEC’s Vaccine Locator at vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov or visit vaccines.gov.
