COVID Vaccine Season Just Got More Complex

Will you get a COVID-19 vaccine? That's become a complicated question for many people, with the answer depending on one's age, insurance coverage, health, and finding a health care professional to give the shot. A once-straightforward seasonal vaccine process has become muddled this year due to new federal guidance on who the shots are approved for. It also raises questions about whether pharmacists will provide the shots, and if insurers will cover them. The FDA has given the green light to new shots from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, but the approvals come with some new caveats. More, from the AP:

• Changes: The shots were approved for people who are 65 and older and those who are younger and have a health condition that makes them vulnerable to severe COVID. Those preexisting conditions include people with asthma, cancer, heart or lung problems, obesity, depression, or a history of smoking or physical inactivity. "A high proportion of people would qualify for these vaccines even if they're not over 65," said Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
• Backstory: Until now, the US— following guidance from independent experts who advise the CDC—has recommended yearly COVID vaccinations for everyone age 6 months and older. But Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired every member of that Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this year. The replacements he selected have yet to make new recommendations.
• Where to get the shot: Most Americans visit drugstores to get their COVID vaccines, per the CDC. It's not clear yet how easy that will be this fall, depending on where you live. Nineteen states have laws or regulations that only let pharmacists administer vaccines recommended by the ACIP, according to the American Pharmacists Association. In those states, pharmacies may not be able to dole out shots even for people who fit the FDA's narrowed range until the committee makes its recommendation. Plus, some pharmacists may be reluctant to give shots to customers who fall outside the FDA's approval range, said Brigid Groves, a VP with the pharmacists group.
• Insurance: For people age 65 and older, the FDA's decision means Medicare will cover the shots. For everyone else, the answer is still evolving. Check with your insurer or the employer that provides your coverage. The shots can cost $150 or more without insurance.
• Do we still need a vaccine? People who want shots typically seek them in the fall to prepare for a possible winter surge in cases. The vaccinations are strongly recommended for older people and those with a health condition, said Sax. Doctors and researchers say most people have some immunity from either previous COVID infections or vaccines. But an annual shot is still a good idea: The built-up immunity means your body will respond faster to an infection than it did in the pandemic's early days, said Johns Hopkins virus expert Andrew Pekosz.

More here.