NEW ORLEANS — If you’re looking to get the bivalent booster shot in the New Orleans Metro Area, you’re in luck.
Last week, the CDC recommended anyone ages 12 and over to get the bivalent booster shot for better protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
BA.4 and BA.5 are subvariants of the Omicron strain and began circulating in South Africa in April 2022. BA.4 and BA.5 account for 95% of current COVID-19 infections in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The CDC recommends the bivalent shot to anyone 12-years-old or older who has received both primary doses of the original COVID-19 vaccines. If you received one or more of the original (monovalent) booster shots, the CDC recommends waiting at least two months after the previous booster shot to get the updated dose. Children ages 5-11 are still only recommended the original (monovalent) booster shot.
The bivalent booster shots are provided through Pfizer and Moderna. Patients that had the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their primary doses may mix and match with the booster shot. That means if someone received the Pfizer vaccine for their first 2 doses, they could choose between Pfizer or Moderna for their booster dose.
Walgreens and CVS are offering the bivalent booster shots at select locations. To book an appointment at CVS, click here. If you would like to book an appointment at Walgreens, click here.
Winn-Dixie is distributing Pfizer bivalent booster doses at the following locations:
- 3300 Paris Road in Chalmette
- 12519 Airline Hwy, Suite A in Destrehan
- 1803 La Hwy 3125 in Gramercy
- 2112 Belle Chasse Hwy in Gretna
- 1830 West Airline Hwy in Laplace
- 12125 Hwy 90 in Luling
- 4100 Hwy 59 in Mandeville
- 211 Veterans Blvd. in Metairie
- 9701 Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans
- 401 North Carrollton Ave in New Orleans
- 8601 Jefferson Hwy in River Ridge
Winn-Dixie is providing the Moderna bivalent booster shot at their store at 70431 Hwy 21 in Covington and their store at 2985 Gause Blvd in Slidell. You can schedule your booster shot at Winn-Dixie Pharmacy here.
Castellon Pharmacy in Uptown is also offering the bivalent booster shot at 8232 Oak Street. For more information on getting your booster shot at Castellon Pharmacy, visit www.castellonrx.com.
Costco in New Orleans offers only the Pfizer bivalent booster shot, but anyone can get it, regardless of whether they received the Pfizer vaccine for their primary doses. You can schedule your booster at Costco here.
According to our partners at NOLA.com, area hospitals such as Ochsner Health, LCMC Health, Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, and Baton Rouge General have not received any updated doses yet but expect them to come soon.
Ochsner system medical director of hospital quality Dr. Sandra Kemmerly told NOLA.com that they will not begin booking appointments until they receive the doses, and that there has been a lot of interest.
The CDC has released a full list of locations that you can currently book a vaccine appointment. You can view that list here.
For more information on the update booster shot, guidelines, and eligibility, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/.