Bexar County – The upgraded Pfizer and BioNTech bivalent booster vaccine has been available since March, but thousands of people in Bexar County who are eligible to receive a shot have yet to get one.
“That updated booster is going to work better with the strains of COVID circulating right now in our community. It will match better than the original booster vaccine that was available,” University Health Epidemiologist Dr. Jason Bowling said.
Data from the San Antonio COVID-19 Dashboard shows us that only 15.1% of people in Bexar County have the updated booster.
The CDC recommends any person, including children six months and older get one updated booster.
“The booster update, especially among the younger population is much, much lower,” San Antonio Metropolitan Health Deputy Director, Anita Kurian said.
Health experts say if you don’t get the updated booster, it could come with a risk.
“What happens if you don’t get a bivalent booster? We are at higher risk of getting infected, potentially a more significant infection than somebody that’s vaccinated,” Bowling said.
Professionals believe it is a possibility that people may be slow to get the booster because of the CDC’s frequent recommended changes.
“You know, the Fiesta celebrations are underway. Please stay safe by making sure you’re up to date with the vaccinations. We know crowded settings can raise your likelihood of being very close to someone who is infected with COVID-19,” Kurian said.
If you are interested in getting the updated booster, Metro Health will host a pop-up vaccine clinic Wednesday at the Frank Garrett Multi-Service Center on 1226 NW 18th Street.
For a list of future Metro Health vaccine clinics click here.