One who has not heard of the term, "bivalent" just yet should know it refers to the fact that this updated vaccine has a genetic code targeted to the original variant of the virus spreading COVID-19, called SARS-CoV-2, on top of parts of Omicron-based variants that are spreading at present.

Good Housekeeping reported that according to Richard Martinello, MD, the medical director of infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health System, "half of it is the same as the original vaccine."

 

The other half is focused on the new sub-variants that have resulted in almost all the diseases being seen over the last few months.

Americans learn more about the new set of the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines developed by teams from Moderna and Pfizer after officials at the Food and Drug Administration authorized its rollout in early September.

With pharmacies and clinics across the country, which include CVs and Walgreens now offering appointments for vaccinations, one may be curious more about this updated vaccine and the kind of side effects that may be affecting him following the shot.

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Headaches as a Booster Vaccine Side Effect
(Photo : Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)
Headache is one of the bivalent COVID-19 omicron booster side effects as identified by the FDA.

Bivalent Vaccines

Researchers have readily admitted that this particular batch of bivalent vaccines, aimed toward BA.4 and BA.5 sub-Omicron variants, have yet to be investigated in humans, officially.

One should not be worried though, about any rising side effects here, explained Dr. Martinello, as regulators at FDA have seen a similar bivalent booster developed by Prizer and BioNTech for the "stealth" Omicron variant spread last winter, and such bivalent boosters were studied extensively investigated before they were rolled out.

Present authorizations are based on previous research, as laid out by health regulators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data already generated from the BA,1 vaccine the bivalent BA.1 vaccine, and the human data, really gave the FDA the confidence that they could reach approving this new bivalent inoculation.

Bivalent Booster Side Effects 

Virologists and vaccine experts have explored the possible Omicron bivalent booster vaccine side effects. 

Data collected by the FDA for earlier bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines suggests that such inoculations successfully offered immunogenicity, a boost to immunity, and elicited consistent side effects as compared to other vaccines against COVID-19, explained Dr. Marinello.

The medical director of infection prevention for AltaMed Health Services specifies that existing side effect notices the FDA published sourced data from both the separate clinical trials from both Pfizer and Moderna for earlier BA.1 vaccines.

Side Effects to Possibly Appear within a Week of Injection

Below are eight possible side effects most commonly reported within one week of vaccine injection:

1. Headache

2. Fever

3. Pain at the injection area, alongside welling and, or redness

4. Widespread muscle pain

5. Extended fatigue

6. Joint pain

7. Nausea and Vomiting

8. Chills

Based on the present FDA publications, there is a chance as well, that swelling may appear in lymph nodes within the same arm as the injection area.

Related information about the side effects of the COVID-19 booster vaccine is shown on Denver7's YouTube video below:

 

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