HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – Hunterdon County’s Health Department received doses of the COVID-19 bivalent booster earlier this month and is offering the bivalent vaccine booster at its ongoing COVID vaccination clinics, according to Commissioner Shaun C. Van Doren.
COVID vaccines are available by appointment or as a walk-in, and the bivalent booster is given to individuals who received a booster or initial series of vaccine two months ago or later and who meet the age requirements for the vaccine, Van Doren said.
Commissioner Van Doren, the Board’s Health Department liaison, said, “The bivalent vaccine, also referred to as ‘updated boosters’ contain two messenger RNA (mRNA) components of SARS-CoV-2 virus, one of the original strains of SARS-CoV-2 and the other one in common between the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. In other words, it provides improved protection against the omicron variant of the COVID-19 strain.”
The CDC recommends everyone eligible should get vaccinated and boosted. According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
Karen DeMarco, the County’s Health Department Director, said, “Effective September 1st, everyone 12 years of age and older is recommended to get an updated COVID-19 bivalent booster dose that targets the Omicron variant. It is recommended that you received your bivalent booster if it has been at least two months after your most recent booster or primary series.”
The Hunterdon County Health Department is hosting another clinic for the bivalent booster on October 5 from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., Building #1 at the Route 12 County Complex, 314 Route 12 in Flemington. Interested residents should visit the county’s website for more information.
“The Health Department staff has been providing resources in response to the pandemic since March of 2020 when our community, and our world, shut down. They are to be commended for their hard work and continued dedication to the community,” Van Doren said.
In addition to bivalent and initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the County Health Department is providing weekly pediatric vaccine clinics for those under the age of 5. The pediatric clinics are strictly by appointment only.
