Health Department Expands Availability of COVID-19 Bivalent Doses

Published on May 31, 2023

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department today announced that additional doses of the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine are now available to adults age 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently approved an additional dose of bivalent vaccine for these groups.

The Health Department has bivalent vaccine doses onsite and is currently contacting eligible residents by email to schedule an appointment. People can also schedule their own appointment online at covid19.lincoln.ne.gov or by calling 402-441-4200. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are also welcome Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Adults age 65 and older can receive a second bivalent dose at least four months after their first bivalent dose. People with weakened immune systems can receive an additional bivalent dose at least two months following a previous bivalent dose.

“Even though COVID-19 is currently at low levels, it remains a real risk for many people, especially older adults or those who have weakened immune systems. An additional dose of bivalent vaccine helps people maintain protection against severe illness,” said Health Director Pat Lopez.

Other CDC updates to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations include:

• Everyone age 6 months and older should get one bivalent COVID-19 vaccine regardless of whether they’ve completed their primary series.
• Children age 6 months to 5 years may need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date, including at least one dose of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, depending on the number of doses they’ve previously received and their age.

The Health Department encourages residents to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. For more information on vaccine or other COVID-19-related topics, visit covid19.lincoln.ne.gov or call the LLCHD at 402-441-8006.