COVID-19 has been an unwelcome guest in many people’s plans this summer. Now, as fall — and flu season — approaches, Sacramento health officials say anyone over 6 months old should get the latest COVID vaccine to provide protection against the virus.
The new formulation has been updated to handle the latest variants of the virus: EG.5, nicknamed “Eris,” and BA.2.86, nicknamed “Pirola”. The FDA approved the one-dose shot for Pfizer and Moderna on Sept. 11.
After the announcement, some Sacramentans tried to get the vaccine, even set up appointments, but were stymied by nonexistent supply, or problems billing insurance (all public and private insurances should cover the vaccine). Some outlined their experience on Reddit.
“I booked my appointment online and they said you can only receive the vaccine if you pay $100 because it’s not CDC approved for the state yet,” one commenter said after a visit to a Target CVS in South Sacramento. “So while you are able to book online, they will charge you unfortunately!”
When the federal public health emergency ended in May, so did measures to streamline the vaccine rollout, said Rachel Allen, who manages Sacramento County’s immunization program.
“The CDC would pre-position [the] vaccine with us in hopes that it would get approved so that there would not be a missed beat,” said Allen. “Now we're out of that emergency. So this is a normal way a vaccine gets rolled out.”
Allen said kinks with the process are being ironed out, and recommends that insured people who weren’t able to get an appointment for a booster shot should keep it at the top of their to-do list as winter virus season approaches. Major pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and Walmart are all offering appointments to get the vaccine immediately in the Sacramento area. Rite Aid is scheduling appointments for late October.
Allen said the vaccine arrived at the county before many pharmacies, and last week they began bringing it to clinics. She said they’re still partnering with local nonprofits they teamed up with during the original vaccine rollout to get more shots in arms, especially in ZIP codes where a high proportion of people don’t have health insurance.
Only 21.3% of people in Sacramento are up-to-date on their COVID vaccines, meaning they got the updated bivalent booster last fall. The rate is similar to the state’s average, according to the state data dashboard.
Allen says vaccinations provide a crucial layer of protection: “You're protected from severe illness, hospitalization and death; those are the greatest benefits the vaccination can give you. And it only works if you get it. And if you get it before you're sick.”
Here’s what else you need to know:
Who can get the new vaccine?
The CDC recommends the vaccine for anyone over 6 months old.
If I got a booster shot recently, how long do I have to wait before receiving this new shot?
The California Department of Public Health recommends waiting two months between any previous shots and getting the current monovalent booster.
Where can I get the vaccine if I have insurance?
Health insurers in California are required to cover COVID tests, vaccines and therapeutics for people who get these services in-network. Check with your local pharmacy to see if they have appointments and take your insurance. Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS have appointments to book online, sometimes concurrently with the flu shot.
If you have Kaiser Permanente as your insurer, the medical group is still waiting on its supply, and says it expects to begin administering vaccines in early October.
“You should not have to pay out of pocket if you are insured,” U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra said at a press conference Sept. 20.
Where can I get the vaccine if I don’t have insurance?
If you don’t have insurance, you will still be covered under the CDC’s Bridge Access Program, which will provide no-cost vaccines to uninsured adults through the end of 2024. You can go to myturn.ca.gov to book an appointment (sometimes only available for that day or a day later in the week) or find a walk-up clinic.
Without insurance or outside of the Bridge Access Program, both the Pfizer and Moderna shots are priced upwards of $100.
Should I wait for the Novavax shot?
The Novavax vaccine could be an option for people who couldn’t, or didn’t want to receive an mRNA vaccine. The biotech company met with the CDC earlier this month to discuss FDA emergency use authorization, and expects to receive that before the end of this year.
Unlike the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, the biotech company Novavax uses a protein-based formulation.
The company also has offered a primary series course, but its vaccines are much less common than Pfizer and Moderna.
Should I get my COVID and flu shots at the same time?
The CDC and other groups recommend getting your COVID and flu shots at the same time. If you’re over 60 or have an infant or young child, Allen also recommends talking to your doctor about getting the RSV vaccine, which was approved by the FDA in May, and protects people from getting very sick. Last year, the region had concerns of a “tripledemic” when case rates of the three respiratory viruses coincided.
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