Updated COVID booster shots to become available in Minnesota starting next week
MINNEAPOLIS -- The updated COVID-19 booster, which is adapted for the Omicron variants, will start rolling out in Minnesota next week.
The "bivalent" booster, which contains half of the original COVID-19 vaccine and half protection targeting the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants, was cleared by the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration this week.
Shipments have already begun nationwide, and providers in Minnesota are expected to start taking appointments early next week.
The Mall of America vaccination site will begin administering doses on Sept. 7, Gov. Tim Walz said. Sites in Duluth, St. Paul Midway, Rochester, and Moorhead will start distributing the jabs the following week by appointment only.
"This new booster represents another step forward in fighting COVID-19," said Walz. "This variant-specific formula will play an important role in helping keep Minnesotans safe this fall - especially when paired with testing and therapeutics."
The booster will be free for all Minnesotans, regardless of insurance status.
The Pfizer booster is recommended for people age 12 or older, while Moderna's is recommended for people age 18 or older. Minnesotans are eligible for the new booster as little as 2 months after their last shot of COVID-19 vaccine.
Primary series of vaccines are still available for all Minnesotans age 6 months and older.
So far, the Omicron BA.2.75 variant, which the World Health Organization said is becoming more contagious, has not been detected in the Twin Cities area. According to the Metropolitan Council, the latest wastewater tests showed BA.5 as the most dominant variant.
Overall, the viral load decreased from the previous week by about 20%.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
