press releases
07.10.2022
Governor Lamont Receives Omicron Bivalent COVID-19 Booster and Flu Shot and Encourages Connecticut Residents to Get the Extra Protection as Winter Approaches
Governor Lamont receives the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot at a mobile immunization clinic in Hartford. [Download image in high quality]
(HARTFORD, CT) — Gov. Ned Lamont today visited a Connecticut Department of Public Health mobile vaccine truck clinic in Hartford, where he was given a dose of the recently approved COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster, designed to increase protection against the Omicron variants of the virus and strengthen the previous vaccination protection. During the visit, he also received his annual flu shot.
The governor encourages all eligible Connecticut residents to receive the updated COVID-19 boost, noting that it is currently available to people over the age of 12 who completed their original vaccine series or received their last boost at least two months ago. In particular, he encourages older adults, those with chronic illnesses, and those with compromised immune systems or pregnant women to get it as soon as possible. In the coming weeks, eligibility for the refresher will likely be extended to children ages 5 to 11.
Stocks of both the booster shot and the flu shot are widely available in Connecticut. Individuals can get them by contacting or visiting their GP vaccines.gov, where they can enter their zip code and connect to nearby providers. The booster shot is also offered through the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s mobile vaccine truck clinics, operated by Griffin Health, which tour the state with a focus on communities where access to health services can be difficult. (For the van schedule, click here.)
“The COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot and flu shot have prevented so many diseases and saved countless lives, and this updated booster shot in particular will provide increased protection as the virus continues to evolve.” said Governor Lamont. “With the start of the fall season, when people are starting to spend more time indoors, there is no better time to get that extra level of protection. I am grateful that I was able to accept it today.”
The updated booster shot was approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on September 1, 2022, and doses were quickly shipped to Connecticut. As of October 4, 2022, a total of 217,486 people in Connecticut have received it.
It’s called “bivalent” because it targets both the original coronavirus and the Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, which cause nearly all new COVID-19 infections in the United States.
The bivalent booster from Pfizer-BioNTech is available to everyone aged 12 and over. The bivalent booster Moderna can be taken by anyone over the age of 18. Both boosters are single-dose shots.
Governor Lamont completed his first two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series on March 12, 2021. He then received two booster vaccinations, the first on September 25, 2021 and the second on March 31, 2022.
- Twitter: @GovNedLamont
- Facebook: Office of Governor Ned Lamont
