The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the CDC have recommended the use of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters by Pfizer- BioNTech and Moderna, acording to the state health department.

Per the new recommendations, all COVID-19 booster doses in individuals 12 years and older would be of the bivalent vaccine, and monovalent vaccines will no longer be approved as a booster doses in this age group.

Updated booster doses have started arriving in the state.

Monovalent vaccines in the state are still authorized for use in the primary series of vaccination.

“These new, updated booster doses are expected to provide better protection against the current circulating Omicron variant,” said Dr. Gitanjali Pai, Chief Medical Officer for OSDH. “The updated bivalent boosters include components of both the original coronavirus strain and the Omicron variant.”