The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is supporting the CDC’s latest recommendation allowing an additional dose of the bivalent booster against COVID-19 for individuals at increased risk for severe infection.

The CDC’s announcement also simplifies vaccination schedules to allow bivalent vaccines to be used for primary vaccination series, as well as boosters.

The CDC’s recommendations follow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s  (FDA) recent action amending the emergency use authorization of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccines to simplify the vaccination schedule for most individuals.

These changes include:

• Everyone 6 years and older who has not received a bivalent vaccine dose should receive one, regardless of what vaccine was used for their primary series.

• Those who already received a bivalent vaccine booster dose do not need to take any action, unless they are 65 years or older or immunocompromised.

• Adults 65 years and older can now receive a second bivalent vaccine booster dose at least four months after their initial bivalent dose.

• People who are immunocompromised may receive additional bivalent vaccine booster doses and should consult their healthcare provider to determine the best timing for additional doses.

• Bivalent vaccine can be used for all primary series and booster doses in adults and children 6 months and up. The original monovalent COVID-19 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for use in the United States.

DOH sent out a notice to all Hawaiʻi COVID-19 vaccine providers to inform them of the FDA authorization changes.

More information about locating vaccine providers and COVID-19 vaccination guidance can be found at vaccines.gov.