

This change in who pays for your COVID vaccine, and how, has already caused issues in the last week for folks seeking vaccines, as their public health officials have urged them to. But this means you’ll now have a narrower choice of places to get it, and potentially a slower rollout of appointments too. If you don’t have insurance, the White House will still cover the costs of your COVID vaccines through a federal program until December 2024. (It’s also why those county-run vaccination sites that were so common at the height of the pandemic will now not exist on the same scale, and will primarily be targeted toward folks without insurance.) Instead, for most people with health insurance, their insurer will cover the cost of getting the new COVID vaccine - and this is why many county public health officials are urging people to first seek out the new vaccine via their health care provider. These issues stem from the fact that this is the first time during the COVID pandemic that the federal government isn’t footing the bill for these vaccines. But because of delays in the rollout, some people have reported being asked to pay at pharmacies for their new COVID vaccine.
#RITE AID SCHEDULE BOOSTER FREE#
This updated vaccine should be free for everyone. Should I get my 2023 flu shot at the same time as my new COVID vaccine?ĭo I have to pay for the new COVID vaccine?.If I don’t have major health risks, should I still get the new COVID vaccine now?.Who is eligible for the new COVID vaccine?.Where can I find the new COVID vaccine near me?.

#RITE AID SCHEDULE BOOSTER HOW TO#
Keep reading for what you need to know about the new COVID booster shots from Pfizer and Moderna and how to find a free COVID vaccine near you. Right now, My Turn only advises Californians to “contact your healthcare provider for more information” and promises that “state programs for the uninsured or under-insured are coming soon.” 13 statement, the same day, the California Department of Public Health said that “initial supplies” of the new vaccine were expected to roll out “in the coming weeks” for distribution through the state’s site. The CDC said in a September 12 statement that the authorized vaccines would roll out in the coming days and certain pharmacies - including CVS and Walgreens - are already offering appointments now for the new vaccines in California.Īs for when the state or your local county health department will be offering the new COVID vaccine and to whom, that might vary, and it looks like widespread distribution of the new COVID vaccines might take a little while to get up and running. Instead, they’re referring to it as a “new” or “updated” COVID vaccine for 2023 that’s been updated to better target a more recent strain of the coronavirus than previous vaccines: This time, the omicron variant known as XBB.1.5.īut just because these new COVID vaccines are now approved doesn’t mean that appointments are already available everywhere. Unlike previous rounds of the vaccine, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aren’t calling this latest shot a “booster” - so you won’t see that language online around appointments. Why was I asked to pay for my new COVID vaccine?.Where can I find a new COVID vaccine near me?.This was after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on making these updated shots available to everyone age 6 months and older through health care providers and county public health departments, as well as at health centers and pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Safeway. On September 12, the updated COVID vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer (also known as Comirnaty) were formally authorized, and are now starting to roll out across the United States, amid a rise in COVID cases locally and nationally. Have you been wondering “When will the new COVID vaccine be available?” The short answer is: It’s here now, but it might take a little while longer to become widely accessible.
