How long does the new bivalent booster protection last?

“Bivalent” COVID-19 boosters (the updated shots targeting both the original strain and newer variants like Omicron BA.4/BA.5) generally provide strong protection for a few months, but protection—especially against infection—wanes over time.

Typical pattern seen in studies/real-world data:

• ~2–3 months: strongest protection against breakthrough infection
• ~3–6 months: protection continues but declines, with still meaningful protection against severe disease/hospitalization
• Beyond ~6 months: protection against infection is usually much lower, while protection against severe outcomes often remains better than protection against getting infected (though it also wanes)

Important caveats:

• Duration varies by age, immune status, prior infections/vaccines, and which exact bivalent product you got.
• Because waning happens, many public health schedules recommend additional doses (often seasonally or for higher-risk groups).

If you tell me your age, whether you’re immunocompromised, and which exact booster/date you received, I can give a more tailored expectation of how long protection is likely to last for you.