The vaccine isnt here yet, but will likely be available in September.
What is a bivalent vaccine?
And how is it different from current boosters?
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Bivalent Vaccines Target 2 Viral Strains
A bivalent vaccine elicits an immune response againsttwo different antigens.
This can means two different viruses, or two variations of one virus.
The current COVID-19 vaccines and boosters target the original pop in of COVID-19 discovered in late 2019.
They are considered monovalent vaccines.
Specifically, it will target the spike protein associated with the BA.1 subvariant of Omicron.
Modernas bivalent vaccine candidate is designed totarget newer Omicron subvariantsof BA.4 and BA.5 alongside the original strain of COVID.
Multivalent Vaccines Arent New
Despite the media attention, the COVID bivalent vaccine candidates arent groundbreaking firsts.
In fact, other vaccines have been designed to protect against even more than two types of viruses.
Some (non-COVID) multivalent vaccines include:
Why Are Multivalent Vaccines Useful?
Combination candidates make the process a little easier.
Are These the Best Bivalent Candidates?
There are multiple types of multivalent vaccines in the United States.
Some target far more than two viruses.
For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
Pfizer.Pfizer and BioNTech announce Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine candidates demonstrate high immune response against Omicron.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination: what everyone should know.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Quadrivalent influenza vaccine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pneumococcal polysaccharide VIS.
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