Wake County opens COVID-19 bivalent booster appointments to kids 5 to 11 years old

Wake County has opened bivalent booster appointments to young kids, following approval of the vaccine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Appointments are available and can be scheduled on the Wake County website.

The bivalent booster will be available at five locations throughout the county and several pop-up clinics at grocery stories, libraries and churches. A list of vaccination sites and hours can be found at wakegov.com/vaccines.

The updated booster formula will likely make the vaccines more effective at stopping breakthrough infections and, more importantly, preventing serious illness ahead of a potential winter surge.

The Pfizer shot was approved for kids ages 5 to 11 and the Moderna shot was approved for kids 6 to 11 years old.

The booster’s brand doesn’t have a significant impact on efficacy or side effects, said Duke infectious disease expert Dr. Cameron Wolfe.

“Honestly, the one that you can get in your shoulder is likely to be the best one,” he said.

The CDC advises that people recently recovering from a COVID-19 infection wait three months from the onset of symptoms to get a booster, but factors like risk of severe illness and level of community spread should be taken into account when making this decision.