(RICHMOND, Va.) — Effective immediately, eligible residents of Virginia are able to schedule appointments with their healthcare providers to receive the new, free COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccinations, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The new updated boosters are targeted specifically at the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron variant that initially emerged in the United States in November 2021.

“The elderly and those with significant chronic disease remain at the highest risk of severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19,” said State Health Commissioner Colin M. Greene, MD, MPH.  “Being vaccinated and boosted significantly reduces this risk.”

On August 31, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the two vaccines. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel of independent scientific advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), met September 1 and voted to recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech updated bivalent vaccine for persons aged 12 years and older and the Moderna updated bivalent vaccine for persons aged 18 years and older at least 2 months after completion of a primary series or booster dose. The CDC director endorsed the ACIP recommendations on September 1.

The state’s 35 local health districts have pre-ordered 100,800 Pfizer-BioNTech vials and 40,900 Moderna vials through the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Pre-ordered vaccine is anticipated to arrive at local health department offices and partner providers by September 6. Pharmacies preordered vaccines through their federal partnership as well.

People with questions about the vaccine and their individual situations are advised to contact their healthcare providers.

To find free vaccination opportunities near you, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Assistance is available in English, Spanish, and more than 100 other languages.

(RICHMOND, Va.) — Virginians now have a fourth vaccine choice when they’re seeking a COVID-19 vaccine following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) giving its approval on July 19 for administration of the two-dose Novavax COVID-19 vaccine to adults aged 18 years and older. 

The federal government has purchased 3.2 million doses of the two-dose Novavax vaccine, which will be distributed to the states and territories for use; Virginia has been allocated 20,800 doses. VDH expects the vaccine to be available by the middle of August. The Novavax vaccine is not available at this time as a booster or third dose for immunocompromised persons.

In January 2022, the company submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for consideration in its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) application process. In Phase 3 trials, the vaccine was 90% effective against lab-confirmed, symptomatic infection and 100% effective against moderate and severe disease. Though not tested when the Omicron variant was circulating, the company said the vaccine could generate an immune system response to it, but scientists are still studying that data.

The Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine is designed and manufactured differently than the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The Novavax vaccine contains a very small amount of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which elicits an immune response, in combination with an adjuvant, which boosts the immune system response to the vaccine. FDA-approved protein-based vaccines have been used widely for decades; examples of more recently approved vaccines that contain a purified protein combined with an adjuvant include vaccines to prevent hepatitis B and whooping cough (pertussis). The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine offers an option to individuals who may have an allergic reaction to mRNA vaccines or who have a personal preference for receiving a vaccine other than one based on the mRNA technology.

Side effects include those seen with other COVID-19 vaccines in use in the United States today: injection site tenderness, fatigue, headaches and muscle pain.

The following is a statement from Virginia’s State Vaccination Coordinator and Director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Immunization Christy Gray, MPH:

“The CDC estimates that between 26 million and 37 million adults haven’t gotten a single dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. If you’re in that group and have been waiting for a vaccine based on a different technology than those available now, we urge you to consider the two-dose Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. Novavax is safe and effective and uses technology commonly used for decades in vaccines such as those against hepatitis B and whooping cough (pertussis). VDH will be making it available to Virginians as soon as we are able to obtain it from the federal government, which should be the middle of next month.”

Those who are unvaccinated and without a booster remain at the highest risk of severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19. This population remains VDH’s top priority. Everyone 6 months or older is eligible to be vaccinated. To find free vaccination opportunities near you, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1). Assistance is available in English, Spanish, and more than 100 other languages. 

RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced updated guidance on quarantine procedures following exposure to COVID-19 in school, child care and camp settings. This revised guidance outlines that quarantine is no longer routinely recommended after exposure to COVID-19 infected individuals in child care, K-12 schools, and camp settings.  

Earlier in the year, individuals were encouraged to consider their own risk tolerance and determine what precautions made sense for them and their families. Today, vaccines, tests and treatments continue to be readily available and, at the same time, hospitalization rates are low and the number of Virginians with natural immunity has increased. As such, it is again timely for individuals, families and employers to re-evaluate which precautions are appropriate to them.   

“From the first days of my administration, I have supported parents in making informed decisions for their own families, whom they love and know best,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “As Virginians continue to return to the office and social settings, the pandemic is disrupting workplaces and family life when entire child care facilities, camps and classrooms shutter in response to as few as two cases. Today marks a shift in my administration’s recommendations to optional quarantine for exposure to COVID-19 in child care and school settings as the severity of the disease decreases.”  

While our communities and Commonwealth are learning to live with the pandemic, we recognize that COVID-19 continues to impact many individuals. We are encouraged by our health systems’ continued advancement in both the understanding of, and treatment for, the virus. We will continue to be vigilant about surges or new variants and any impact to our healthcare system.  While maintaining that prudence, Virginia’s communities can, and should, continue on a path to normalcy. 

View the updated COVID-19 guidance here.

Click on the image to download and print.

(RICHMOND, Va.) — Children in Virginia, ages 5–11 years, are now recommended for a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster if they completed their primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine five months ago or more. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has given the green light to providers in the Commonwealth to begin administering the booster dose immediately to eligible children.

On May 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a booster for children, ages 5–11, following the expansion of the pediatric vaccine’s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier in the week.

The CDC gave the go-ahead to the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine on November 2, 2021. Since then, according to the VDH Vaccine Demographics dashboard, 316,571 children in Virginia, ages 5–11 years, had received at least one dose of vaccine as of May 17, representing 43.7% of the children ages 5–11 years. According to the data, 270,200 Virginia children (37.3%) in this age group are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Currently, more than 144,606 children in Virginia, who were fully vaccinated as of December 17, 2021, are now eligible for a booster vaccination.

In addition, the CDC strengthened their recommendation that persons 12 years and older who are immunocompromised and those 50 years and older should get a second booster vaccine if it has been four months since their first booster.

The following is a statement from Virginia’s State Vaccination Coordinator and Director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Immunization Christy Gray, MPH:

“VDH urges parents to talk to their pediatrician or other healthcare provider about getting their child boosted. Vaccination helps to keep children from getting very sick, developing short- and long-term health problems, and reduce spread to loved ones and communities. COVID-19 cases are rising in Virginia and this is a step parents can take to continue their child’s protection. The best way for parents to protect their children is through vaccination, which we urge parents to consider for their children’s safety and well-being.

“As COVID-19 cases are rising in Virginia, VDH urges those eligible for a second booster vaccine to talk to their healthcare provider to ensure continued protection against severe illness.”

Those who are unvaccinated and without a booster remain at the highest risk of severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19. This population remains VDH’s top priority. Everyone five years or older is eligible to be vaccinated. To find free vaccination opportunities near you, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1). Assistance is available in English, Spanish, and more than 100 other languages.