The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated recommendations to shift all administrations of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to bivalent rather than monovalent doses. This move will help simplify the vaccination process moving forward.

In its statement, the CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 years and older receive a bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they previously completed their (monovalent) primary series. The new recommendations allow an additional updated (bivalent) vaccine dose for adults ages 65 years and older and additional doses for people who are immunocompromised. This allows more flexibility for health care providers to administer additional doses to immunocompromised patients as needed.

Individuals ages 6 years and older who have already received a bivalent mRNA booster dose do not need to take any action unless they are 65 years or older or immunocompromised. For young children, multiple doses continue to be recommended and will vary by age, vaccine, and which vaccines were previously received, the CDC said in its statement.

The CDC recommendation follows Wednesday's support from the agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and Tuesday's action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which removes authorization of monovalent Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for use as a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S.