FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2022
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – The County of Santa Clara is now taking appointments for the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine for its mass vaccination locations and local clinics. COVID-19 vaccination appointments for the initial series and the new bivalent boosters are available through the County’s website at www.sccfreevax.org.
Following federal recommendations, the County will no longer provide the original COVID-19 booster to those eligible for the bivalent booster. However, it will remain available for the 5–11-year-old age group. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people can get the new Omicron-specific booster as soon as two months after completing the initial COVID-19 series or their most recent COVID-19 booster.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are “bivalent” and should provide a greater level of defense against COVID-19 by targeting the original strain of the novel coronavirus as well as the currently dominant Omicron BA.5 variant. The Pfizer booster will be available for people 12 and older, and the Moderna booster will be available to individuals 18 and older.
The Omicron variant first appeared in the United States in the fall of 2021 and became the dominant variant in the U.S mid-December 2021. The subsequent BA.4 and BA.5 variants of COVID-19 appeared in the United States in the Spring of 2022.
The availability of the latest booster could be a critical asset in driving down community transmission levels against the now dominant variant.
“The County of Santa Clara is committed to quickly making the bivalent vaccines readily available to our community,” said Dr. Jennifer Tong, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. “Our hope is this will slow transmission and mitigate harm that may come from a fall or winter surge.”
Everyone is encouraged to check with their primary physician about receiving the bivalent Omicron booster vaccine. Those without a primary healthcare provider or who are having difficulty finding an appointment can go through www.sccfreevax.org for an appointment.
# # #
ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multi-cultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, California, making it more populous than 14 states in the U.S. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.
Follow our Twitter for updates: @HealthySCC
County of Santa Clara Website: http://www.sccgov.org/coronavirus
Public Health Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sccpublichealth