Alabama to receive over 70,000 bivalent COVID boosters this week

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Alabama is getting nearly 70,000 doses of bivalent COVID boosters this week.

Huntsville area health officials seemed excited at the possibility of curbing overall COVID cases and serious illnesses with the booster. Here are some things to know before seeking the booster:

• The Center for Disease Control recommends updated boosters for those 12 and older
• The new boosters target both the original strain of the virus and two of the Omicron variants
• Health experts said this new bivalent booster is necessary because it’s an additional layer of protection for high-risk people

One Huntsville doctor is excited about what the booster can mean for the community.

“For the first time, we’ve actually got a vaccine that matches the circulating virus,” Huntsville Hospital Dr. Robert Chappell said. “The virus has been mutating so rapidly, that it was difficult to catch up.”

Doses of the booster should be available soon.

See a full replay of Wednesday’s COVID news conference at the top of this story.

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