WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Heath leaders said the omicron subvariants make up nearly 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in our state.
Newly updated booster shots targeting these variants are now available.
Infectious Diseases expert Dr. Christopher Ohl with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist calls this new bivalent booster the 'fall COVID booster'.
It targets both the original COVID-19 strain and the current BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
Dr. Ohl encourages everyone to get the new booster. Pfizer has it available for everyone ages 12 and older. Moderna has it available for everyone over the age of 18.
Dr. Ohl said it is effective for preventing mild symptomatic COVID and helping those who are older with underlying health problems.
"Lastly, this vaccine should and it looks like it will reduce the viral load in people who do get a 'breakthrough infection' or who do get COVID despite vaccinations. It will reduce the viral load a lot faster so that they don't transmit it as much and that includes in your own household and so that's an advantage," said Dr. Ohl.
Dr. Ohl also said this is how boosters will now work. We will shift into an annual fall COVID booster so that it matches the strains of COVID that are currently going around.