The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an updated coronavirus booster in early October, however Hamden residents have not been quick to receive their dosages.
Hamden residents are able to receive the updated booster vaccination at local pharmacies and health departments including CVS and Quinnipiack Valley Health District.
The updated booster, also known as the bivalent booster, “provides better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant,” explained Matthew Blanchette, senior manager of retail communications at CVS.
Hamden resident, Antonne Booth, 22, is hesitant about receiving the booster.
Booth recently graduated from Western Connecticut State University, and moved to Hamden over this past summer.
“I got COVID while being fully vaccinated. I just don’t see much of a point in getting an updated booster if it’s not going to do much,” Booth said. “I don’t know too much about the updated booster, so I’ll definitely do some research on it before making a definitive answer on whether or not I’m going to get it.”
Another Hamden resident, Susan Sherman, 74, explained her reasoning for getting the booster at a CVS location on Dixwell Ave.
“I haven’t gotten COVID since this whole thing started,” Sherman said. “I got this shot to keep me healthy.”
By posting on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, local health departments are helping to bring awareness to the updated booster.
Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located in North Haven, updates their Twitter account with daily appointment availability for individuals 18 years or older.
QVHD and their public health nurses have administered 76 bivalent booster doses during the month of September, and 128 vaccine doses so far this October.
In the past seven days since Oct. 30, the town of Hamden has reported 47 coronavirus cases and an 8.2% positivity rate among diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2.
The CDC released data revealing 22.8 million individuals ages 5 year or older have received an updated (bivalent) booster dosage as of Oct. 27.
Only 7.3% of the United States population have received the bivalent vaccination.
While the CDC has not released state-by-state administered and delivered bivalent vaccination data, the CT Department of Health reveals that 78.7% of Hamden residents are vaccinated with 1 or more doses, and 46.6% of residents have already received a non-bivalent booster dosage.
Blanchette added, “With flu season in full swing, patients can also make appointments to receive their flu shots at the same time as their COVID-19 booster appointment. Same-day or walk-in vaccination appointments may be possible but are subject to local demand.”
Blanchette explained appointments can be made on the CVS website, the CVS Pharmacy app, and MinuteClinic.com. Individuals can also head over to QVHD, CVS or check out the official CDC website to find other providers nearby.