Santa Barbara County Public Health: Limited supply of new COVID-19 Bivalant booster now available

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Public Health just announced bivalent, the newest COVID-19 booster vaccine, is now available.

Some are planning to get the booster right away.

“I am glad they are coming out with one. I’ve taken the first two Pfizer … I took Pfizer as a booster," said resident Pam von Bieberstein of Ventura, who plans to get the new booster vaccine.

Dr. Henning Ansorg said the new booster is for the BA.4 and BA.5 strains, and will replace previous ones.

"The new booster shot was developed to target this particular variant," said Ansorg.

In order to receive the new booster, you must already have received two primary doses of the covid vaccine.

"Anybody 12 years and older is eligible to receive this new bivalent booster shot. It is advisable to get the new booster, because it’ll be more protective against the currently circulating virus," said Ansorg.

If you just recovered from COVID, Ansorg said to what three months after recovering to get the booster shot.

"What we know about the latest omicron variants … you can get reinfected really quickly which is unfortunate … so it’s really important to get this new and improved booster shot … even if you have recovered," said Ansorg.

"My hope is the community will embrace getting the vaccines I don’t think you should not be able to go to work or school or anything without it ... but I do hope the people will realize the vaccines do help," said von Bieberstein.

Public Health believes the BA.4 and BA.5 variants are currently causing most cases of COVID-19 in the U.S.