New COVID-19 vaccine booster shots available in Ventura County. Here's what we know

Pharmacies, public health clinics and other sites in Ventura County on Tuesday started administering updated COVID-19 booster shots that target omicron subvariants.

California public health officials and a western states committee of experts approved the boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna on Saturday, following earlier emergency OKs from federal agencies. Here's what we know about the shots.

What are they?

The new boosters are bivalent vaccines that target both the original virus and the current dominant subvariants, BA.5 and BA.4. The Pfizer/BioNTech shots are available to people 12 and older. Moderna's booster is for adults.

The updated inoculations replace their predecessors. The monovalent vaccines will still be used for primary shots but not for boosters.

Who can get boosted?

People are eligible if they received their primary series of vaccines and are at least two months removed from either the last dose of the primary shot or a booster. Unvaccinated people will need to obtain their initial shots before getting the updated boosters.

People can get the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine regardless of which brand they received in their initial shots.

More: CDC recommends reformulated Pfizer, Moderna COVID boosters for all Americans over 12

Will they help?

Data on the effectiveness of the boosters is incomplete. Doctors said the targeting of the new dominant subvariants should make the shots more effective in blocking infections.

"They'll be at least as good as we have so far, potentially better," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco. He said the new boosters should also continue to reduce the chance of severe illness.

"You can get your cake and eat it too," Chin-Hong said.

Related: Ventura County hurtles into CDC’s lowest risk tier for COVID-19

The more realistic expectation is that the boosters won't prevent all infections but will continue to limit severity, said Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County health officer. He too encouraged people to get boosted.

"We’re talking about decreasing significantly your chances of hospitalization and death," he said.

Where can I get the shots?

County public health officials said Tuesday they have received shipments of the Moderna boosters and expected Pfizer/BioNTech shots to arrive later in the day. The boosters were being given at public health clinics as well as pharmacies and some medical sites across the county.

Other providers said they expect the shots to be available later this week.

The state's MyTurn vaccine scheduling system was being updated Tuesday and was not making appointments for the new shots. County officials said they were told the update could be completed by the end of the week.

CVS, Walgreen's, Vons and other pharmacies are accepting online appointments for the boosters. Information is also expected to be posted at https://www.venturacountyrecovers.org/.

When should I get it?

People are eligible two months after their last shot but some CDC advisers suggested people wait three months. Levin said the added time could help boost immunity levels when they are waning.

People are also advised to wait three months after getting infected.

Some people may decide to time their boosters for two weeks or more before a trip or event that may carry higher exposure risks, Levin said. Demand for the new boosters will also likely rise if more variants emerge or if infection rates spike in a fall or winter surge.

Other doctors said people shouldn't put off what they can do now, noting that transmission levels are still high though the case rate has dropped.

"I'd rather people get protected," said Dr. Uldine Castel, medical director at Primary Medical Group.

Are there side effects?

The side effects are expected to be about the same as previous COVID vaccines and can include swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, chills and fever.

Are the shots safe?

Several CDC committee members said they were uncomfortable authorizing the boosters because clinical trials haven't been completed. Others compared the boosters to annual flu vaccines that are approved without additional human trials because the changes are not expected to affect safety.

Chin-Hong said he has no worries about safety because the new vaccines contain the same ingredients as the previous vaccines. He does hope the boosters motivate unvaccinated people to get their primary shots so they qualify for the bivalent shots, he acknowledged most of the demand will likely come from people who have already been vaccinated.

"I feel like (we're) preaching to the choir with the new and improved booster," he said.

USA Today contributed to this report.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: COVID-19 omicron boosters now available in Ventura County