Vaccine clinics are something many people have become familiar with by now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s critical to understand why clinics providing the new bivalent booster, like Tuesday’s drive-thru clinic held by CHI St. Joseph’s Health in Park Rapids, are so important.

The new boosters are meant to combat not just the original COVID-19 virus, but also the Omicron variant. The clinic’s main goal was to provide as many booster shots as possible to those eligible.

“The booster is really meant for anyone who has had their primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine, meaning the first two shots,” explained CHI St. Joseph’s Community Health Director Marlee Morrison.

The clinic was giving the Moderna bivalent booster, currently authorized for ages 18 and older, if someone’s last COVID-19 vaccine was given more than two months prior to this booster dose.

“We really would like to see our community take up the vaccine, especially for ages 18 and up,” said Morrison, “so that we can try to stop the circulation of COVID-19.”

Hopefully, clinics like these can stop the spread one booster shot, and one car load, at a time.

By — Justin Othoudt