Updated COVID boosters to be available in Rhode Island this week

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island Department of Health announced Tuesday that updated COVID boosters will be available in the state this week and next.

These comprehensive, bivalent booster doses were authorized by the Food and Drug Administration last week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends Pfizer’s updated COVID-19 boosters that target the newest omicron strains for people 12 and older, while Moderna’s bivalent booster is recommended for people 18 and up.

Health officials are working to ensure that the booster doses are available to residents in long-term care facilities and assisted living facilities, as residents of these facilities are at higher risk for serious illness from COVID.