Has been updated: April 26, 2023 at 3:29 PM
UW Medicine says you should be covered if you got a booster last fall, unless you’re in the high-risk category. (Getty Images)
The COVID-19 boosters that became available last fall should provide adequate protection against the new virus variant, according to the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Dr. Shireesha Dhanireddy believes that bivalent COVID-19 booster formulations that have become available will work against Omicron XBB.1.16, or ‘Arcturus’, and other variants. A bivalent vaccine is a vaccine that has two strains of the virus.
“We believe this booster is still active against the new viruses we hear about,” said Dhanireddy, a professor of medicine at UW School of Medicine.
As of Wednesday, XBB.1.16 had not been detected locally by UW Medicine’s Virology Laboratory.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that a second dose of the bivalent vaccine is available for those at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19, including those aged 65 and older, those who are immunocompromised, and those aged 5 and older. A booster vaccination is recommended.
“It’s an extra layer of protection, especially for immunocompromised people who don’t have a strong immune response to vaccines or to fight off infections,” Dhanireddy said.
Danireddy expects another booster to be announced this fall for those currently taking boosters that weren’t included in the CDC’s latest guidance.
FACT FOCUS: COVID vaccines are not included in the food supply
According to the Food and Drug Administration, there are 19 approved COVID vaccines. The public should contact their doctor’s office to determine if it is best suited for them.
“As we know with flu vaccines, we’re always expecting change and (flu) vaccines are being tweaked every year. Maybe not every year, but every few years, or We could be doing it whenever we need a COVID-19 vaccine,” Dhanireddy said.