bi·va·lent
(ˌ)bī-ˈvā-lənt 
ˈbī-və-
ˈbī-və-
1
chemistry
: having a valence of two : divalent
bivalent calcium
2
genetics
: associated in pairs in synapsis
bivalent chromosomes
3
immunology
: having two combining sites
a bivalent antibody capable of binding to two molecules of an antigen
4
medical
: conferring immunity to two diseases or two serotypes
a bivalent vaccine
: a pair of synaptic chromosomes
Examples of bivalent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 15 June 2023
The study’s findings don’t diminish the need for continued screenings for early detection of cervical cancers caused by HPV types that were not targeted in the original bivalent vaccine, said Palmer, but the vaccines effectively targeted the more aggressive strains of HPV (16 and 18).
—Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 25 Jan. 2024
Fewer than a quarter of Chicagoans received the bivalent booster shot offered last fall, CDPH data shows.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023
The Beth Israel study looked at samples from 66 individuals — some who had been vaccinated with a bivalent booster last fall, and others who did not receive the booster.
—Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2023
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of women in the U.S. who were pregnant last winter, 65 percent had received at least one COVID vaccine dose; 59 percent had received both doses in a primary series; and 27 percent had received a bivalent booster.
—Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024
About 17 percent of the U.S. population has received the new, bivalent booster shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023
Unlike the bivalent shots from last year, this new vaccine doesn’t protect against the original strain of COVID or early Omicron strains, such as BA.5.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 26 Sep. 2023
Protective effect In the group of 12.7 million patients ages 65 and older, about 5.7 million (45 percent) had gotten the bivalent booster, making them up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations at the time.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 12 Jan. 2024
Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 15 June 2023
Those over the age of 65 are now eligible for a second bivalent shot four months after their first.
—Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2023
Children who are age 5 may receive two doses of the Moderna bivalent or a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 18 Apr. 2023
The relative effectiveness of the bivalent was 78% at keeping people 65-plus out of the hospital compared to patients who had gotten their primary series six to 11 months earlier.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2022
Uptake of the bivalent booster, which has been available since September, has been low.
—Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, 10 Feb. 2023
Some 899,136 people have received a dose of the bivalent booster, which is designed to target the BA.4 and BA.5 coronavirus strains in particular.
—oregonlive, 8 Feb. 2023
But as of this moment, there is no specific plan to offer a second dose of the bivalent booster.
—Karen Kaplanscience and Medicine Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
And only about 14% of New Yorkers have received the bivalent booster, according to city data.
—Sharon Otterman, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
Adjective
This is a switch from the current formula, which is bivalent, targeting both the spike protein from the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain and the previous leading omicron subvariants BA.4/5 (which share a spike protein).
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 15 June 2023
The study’s findings don’t diminish the need for continued screenings for early detection of cervical cancers caused by HPV types that were not targeted in the original bivalent vaccine, said Palmer, but the vaccines effectively targeted the more aggressive strains of HPV (16 and 18).
—Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 25 Jan. 2024
Fewer than a quarter of Chicagoans received the bivalent booster shot offered last fall, CDPH data shows.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023
The Beth Israel study looked at samples from 66 individuals — some who had been vaccinated with a bivalent booster last fall, and others who did not receive the booster.
—Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2023
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of women in the U.S. who were pregnant last winter, 65 percent had received at least one COVID vaccine dose; 59 percent had received both doses in a primary series; and 27 percent had received a bivalent booster.
—Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024
About 17 percent of the U.S. population has received the new, bivalent booster shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023
Unlike the bivalent shots from last year, this new vaccine doesn’t protect against the original strain of COVID or early Omicron strains, such as BA.5.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 26 Sep. 2023
Protective effect In the group of 12.7 million patients ages 65 and older, about 5.7 million (45 percent) had gotten the bivalent booster, making them up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations at the time.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 12 Jan. 2024
Noun
For the update, the advisers examined data suggesting that a monovalent vaccine, rather than a bivalent, would have a better shot at protecting against the latest omicron subvariants and reduce the chances of skewing immune responses back to the ancestral strain, which no longer circulates.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 15 June 2023
Those over the age of 65 are now eligible for a second bivalent shot four months after their first.
—Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2023
Children who are age 5 may receive two doses of the Moderna bivalent or a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 18 Apr. 2023
The relative effectiveness of the bivalent was 78% at keeping people 65-plus out of the hospital compared to patients who had gotten their primary series six to 11 months earlier.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2022
Uptake of the bivalent booster, which has been available since September, has been low.
—Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, 10 Feb. 2023
Some 899,136 people have received a dose of the bivalent booster, which is designed to target the BA.4 and BA.5 coronavirus strains in particular.
—oregonlive, 8 Feb. 2023
But as of this moment, there is no specific plan to offer a second dose of the bivalent booster.
—Karen Kaplanscience and Medicine Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
And only about 14% of New Yorkers have received the bivalent booster, according to city data.
—Sharon Otterman, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bivalent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bivalent
Cite this Entry
“Bivalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bivalent. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
bivalent
1 of 2 adjective
bi·va·lent
(ˈ)bī-ˈvā-lənt
1
a
: divalent
bivalent calcium
b
: having two combining sites
a bivalent antibody capable of binding to two molecules of an antigen
2
: associated in pairs in synapsis
bivalent chromosomes
3
: conferring immunity to two diseases or two serotypes
a bivalent vaccine protecting against hepatitis A and hepatitis B
bivalent
2 of 2 noun
: a pair of synaptic chromosomes
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