Updated COVID-19 Vaccines Will Be Available In Rhode Island Soon

RHODE ISLAND — An upgraded version of the COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available in the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Department of Health said Tuesday.

State health officials said the new vaccines, which also target omicron variant, have been authorized by federal health officials and will become available in Rhode Island this week.

"This is a good reminder that one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from COVID-19 is to stay up to date on vaccination," Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. "The Rhode Island Department of Health continues to monitor vaccine availability closely and will ensure that this new, more comprehensive booster dose is available for Rhode Islanders as soon as possible."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone age 12 or older who has been fully vaccinated get a bivalent booster at least two months after their last dose. This bivalent booster dose is not available to children younger than 12. The Pfizer bivalent booster is recommended for people age 12 or older, and the Moderna bivalent booster is recommended for people age 18 or older.

This recommendation applies no matter how many boosters a person has already received. For example, if a person received their primary series and two booster doses, they should still get a bivalent booster at least two months after their last booster dose, state health officials said.

State health officials said they are working to ensure that bivalent booster doses are available to residents at nursing homes and other assisted living facilities, as residents of these facilities are at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19.

Some Rhode Island primary care providers began ordering the new COVID-19 booster doses. Separately, some independent pharmacies and retail pharmacies (such as CVS and Walgreens) are beginning to schedule appointments for bivalent COVID-19 boosters for this week.