Select Hy-Vee locations offering updated COVID-19 boosters
TOPEKA (KSNT) - A limited supply of updated COVID-19 boosters are now available at select Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations by appointment.
The new boosters, known as "bivalent boosters," are reformulated to target versions of the latest Omicron subvariants including BA.4 and BA.5 along with the original COVID-19 virus strain. Individuals over the age of 12 may receive a single dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster at least two months after their last COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Individuals over the age of 18 may receive a single dose of the updated Moderna COVID-19 booster at least two months after their last COVID-19 vaccine dose. Eligible individuals must complete their primary COVID-19 vaccination series before receiving a booster.
Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine to get as a booster dose, regardless of the vaccine manufacturer from their original primary series. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations allow for this type of mix-and-match dosing for booster shots.
Due to the initial limited supply, COVID-19 boosters will be available by appointment. Individuals can schedule an appointment by visiting www.hy-vee.com/covidvaccine. If patients want to receive a flu vaccine at the time they receive their COVID-19 booster, they can request it at the time of their COVID-19 booster appointment.
Vaccine recipients are recommended to bring their insurance card, Medicare Part B red, white and blue card; photo ID and COVID-19 vaccination record if they have them to the appointment. Masks will be required. Those without insurance can still be vaccinated.
The City of Topeka will have appointments open once its Hy-Vee stores have received their shipments of the booster. It was not made immediately clear when this would occur. Locals are encouraged to continue to check Hy-Vee's website to see if vaccines are available.