COVID-19 Now: Accessing the Latest Vaccines

Regulatory authorities recommend that people get the latest COVID-19 booster, but for some the vaccines can be hard to find. Since the federal government stopped purchasing COVID-19 vaccines, there are fewer highly visible public vaccination sites and events than there were with the initial and earlier vaccines and boosters. Although the government is no longer purchasing COVID-19 vaccines, a new program has been announced to provide access for people without insurance at no cost to them. People with insurance still have access to COVID-19 vaccines with no out-of-pocket cost, but there may be fewer locations where they can get the vaccines.

COVID-19 booster vaccines for this fall

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved and authorized updated COVID-19 vaccines for use starting in fall 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended them for people aged 6 months and older.

The updated vaccines, produced by Pfizer and Moderna, are formulated to target a recent variant of the COVID-19 omicron strain called XBB.1.5. Similar to the process of making flu vaccines, the idea is to create seasonal COVID-19 vaccines that match the strain of the virus that has recently been causing infections. Although new variants have emerged since the FDA selected the XBB.1.5 variant in June, laboratory data suggest the updated vaccines should still provide good protection against COVID-19 serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

COVID-19 vaccines and insurance

While those with public and private insurance must have access to any CDC-recommended vaccine with no out-of-pocket cost, there are more than 23 million uninsured non-elderly adults in the United States. Now that the government is no longer purchasing COVID-19 vaccines, there are concerns about how uninsured people will access the vaccines. People without health insurance in the United States are disproportionately low-income people, people of color, and people in poor health and more likely to be hospitalized for avoidable health conditions.

Even before the government stopped purchasing COVID-19 vaccines, uninsured people were much less likely to have been vaccinated compared to those who are insured (54% vs 75%). This may result from various factors, such as systemic barriers to accessing care, different views of vaccination, and other challenges.

Can you still get a free COVID-19 vaccine if you are not insured?

If you are not insured, you can still get a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost to you. The federal government recently announced a “Bridge Access Program” meant to provide access to vaccines for uninsured people. You can get a vaccine at local health centers; state, local, tribal, or territorial health departments; and pharmacies participating in the CDC’s Bridge Access Program. The Vaccines for Children program will also provide COVID-19 boosters to eligible children.

Can you get the COVID-19 vaccine and a flu shot simultaneously?

The COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for people aged 6 months or older. Many healthcare providers are offering the chance to get a COVID-19 vaccine together with flu or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines. You can check with your provider to find out if this might be a good option for you to reduce the number of visits you have to the pharmacy or the doctor's office.

Getting a booster is very important for people over the age of 65 and for those who have been infected with the virus more than three or four months ago. Although the vaccine cannot fully protect you from getting infected, and that protection will wane over time, studies and clinical experience show that the vaccine helps reduce the chance of getting a serious illness, including reducing the need for hospitalization, and long COVID, and that protection remains for an extended period.