By Olivia Anderson | oanderson@alextimes.com

Good news for Alexandrians: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that eligible residents may get a second COVID-19 booster shot, according to a news release.

Groups who qualify, including people 50 and older and the immunocompromised, may receive a second booster of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least four months after getting the first booster from either manufacturer.

Those ages 12 and older who are immunocompromised may receive a second Pfizer booster at least four months after the initial booster, and those ages 18 and older who are immunocompromised may receive a second Moderna booster four months after the initial booster.

“Emerging evidence suggests that a second booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine improves protection against severe COVID-19 and is not associated with new safety concerns,” the FDA stated in the release.

As of Wednesday, the Virginia Health Department reported 1,668,087 total COVID-19 cases in the state and 19,673 total deaths. Statewide, the seven-day average of daily new cases reported is 943.3 and the seven-day average of daily new deaths reported is 22.

Overall, Virginia cases are declining, with a 26% drop over the past two weeks at an average of 705 new cases per day, with a minor uptick reported over the past few days, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As of March 25, Alexandria had surpassed 30,000 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic. According to the Alexandria Health Department, as of Tuesday, there have been 30,102 total cases and 184 deaths in the city. The current seven-day average is 22.3 cases, representing an increase from two weeks ago when the seven-day average was 12 cases.

Alexandrians have a variety of options when it comes to where to get the booster shot. For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Vaccines.