The new COVID-19 bivalent booster shot is now available in Allegheny County. The new vaccine was created to protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of the virus, the disease’s main strains since the spring of 2022.
“Getting vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 is the most effective way to protect yourself from serious illness or death from the virus,” explained Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Director Dr. Debra Bogen. “If you are eligible for the new bivalent booster shot, I strongly encourage you to make an appointment to get it.”
On August 31, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved both the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine doses. A day later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did the same.
The Allegheny County Health Department’s Immunization Clinic, health care providers and pharmacies across the county are now offering both the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent vaccines.
Residents who want to get their vaccine at the Health Department’s Immunization Clinic can call for an appointment at 412-578-8062 or walk-in. The Immunization Clinic is located at 425 First Avenue, Fourth Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
As Allegheny County approaches its third year of the pandemic, the ACHD has also updated its weekly COVID-19 report. Moving forward, the report will include the week’s number of cases, hospitalizations, deaths and the level of community spread, as well as the numbers since the beginning of the pandemic. Residents interested in checking out the ACHD’s COVID-19 dashboards, including virus variants and wastewater information, can do so by visiting the department’s dashboard webpage. The weekly report will continue to be released on Thursdays at 2 p.m.
“The Health Department’s epidemiology staff provide residents with a variety of data related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said ACHD Data Reporting and Disease Control Deputy Director LuAnn Brink. “Residents can check components of the pandemic in real-time on the department’s online dashboards.”
Additional information about COVID-19 daily testing sites and vaccination events can be viewed by visitingthe ACHD’s COVID-19 webpage.
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