Got questions about the new COVID-19 booster? Here are some answers

With final approval for a new COVID-19 booster expected soon, Chicago's top doctor urged eligible residents to get the shot once it's available.

"The reason we want folks to get it now is because it's such a good match," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said at a Thursday morning briefing.

Two separate "bivalent" boosters by Pfizer and Modern are tailored for the latest highly contagious variants of COVID-19, BA.4 and BA.5, circulating in the U.S. and comprising most of new cases.

"It's really different from the boosters that have previously been offered. This vaccine gives us a chance to try and get ahead of the virus; it helps us protect individuals from the variants currently circulating in the U.S.," Arwady said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration greenlighted the shots Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control expert panel also approved the vaccines with final approval pending from CDC chief Rochelle Walensky.

Here are answers to some basic questions based on Arwady's briefing and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Q. Who can get the new bivalent booster vaccine?

A. Anyone who has completed their primary COVID-19 vaccine series (such as two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson's shot).

Q. Does it matter if I got a booster in the past?

A. No. As long as you received a primary series, you are eligible for an updated COVID-19 booster.

"So if you're somebody who got your last booster three months ago, you're eligible and recommended," Arwady said. "If you're someone who never got a booster, you're eligible and recommended."

Q. When can I receive my updated booster?

A. At least two months after receiving your most recent COVID-19 vaccine. "So if it's been two months since you either finished your primary series or got any of that older booster - you are good to go. If you just got a booster two weeks ago, (for example) you should wait two months," Arwady said.

Q. Are there age limits?

A. The Pfizer updated booster has received emergency use authorization for everyone age 12 and older. The Moderna updated booster has received emergency use authorization for anybody age 18 and older.

"There may be an updated booster for younger children in the future, that is not imminent or on the horizon," Arwady said.

Q. Can I still get the original booster?

A. No - if you are 12 and older as officials want people to use the bivalent booster targeting current variants. Children age 5 to 11 can still get the original boosters.

Q. Will it still be free?

A. Yes.

Q. When will it ship?

A. "Most likely it will be arriving on the Tuesday after Labor Day," Arwady said, noting final approval is needed.

Q. Where will it be available?

A. Details are coming out, but it's expected to be offered at drugstores, hospitals and health care providers.