Do you want a Covid-19 vaccine this fall? For many Americans, it’s not clear how easy it is to get it.
Longtime anti-vaccine activist Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week that shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women who take away decisions that science experts rather than political appointees usually take.
A few days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said healthy children and pregnant women could be vaccinated against “covid-19” and remove the stronger language that those groups need to get shots.
The change follows previous Trump administration steps to limit Covid-19 vaccinations among healthy people under the age of 65.
To date, the US has recommended annual Covid-19 vaccinations for everyone over six months, following guidance from independent experts advising the CDC.
Together, the move left health experts, vaccine makers and insurance companies uncertainly as to what advice they would give and what would come next.
Ajay Seti, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said:
The new variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives as the official US stance on Covid-19 vaccination is changing.
How can I get Covid-19 shots for myself and my healthy child?
Some of the vaccines this season are still available. Insurance industry experts say if people receive insurance coverage prior to Kennedy’s announcement, it’s very unlikely to end immediately based on the secretary’s video announcement. So if someone can find a shot, they’ll get it for now.
Can I still choose a shot in the fall for myself or my kids?
It is still unclear who will get what vaccine this fall.
Vaccine makers are planning to issue updated Covid-19 shots in the late summer or fall. However, the Food and Drug Administration plans to limit approvals for seasonal shots to older people and other people at high risk, and says it is holding up more research on everyone else.
Even if the US only approved the vaccine for certain groups, it may still be possible for others to get the shot, depending on future advisory councils, regulatory moves, and outcomes of decisions from insurers and employers.
Will I still pay my insurance?
Insurance companies are fundamental compensation decisions on recommendations from the CDC Panel, an advisory committee on vaccination practices. It is not clear what role the panel currently plays. It could cost around $200 to pay from your pocket.
The CDC says the new language known as shared decision-making between healthy children and pregnant women means health insurance companies must pay for vaccinations.
Some insurance companies and employers may decide to cover the shot no matter what, and Jen Cates, senior vice president of nonprofit KFF, is studying healthcare issues. She noted that if the coronavirus avoids higher bills from hospitalized people, she might consider the cost to be worth it.
What are considered increased risk?
The FDA has published a list of health conditions that it stated to be eligible, including asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity. The CDC has a broader list.
But again, we still don’t know how this unfolds. For example, it can be difficult to prove that people are qualified. For example, if they get vaccinated at a drugstore, pharmacists usually don’t know that underlying health issues or even asking.
And Seti, an expert at UW-Madison, says “this elephant in this room” blocking vaccinations for health can mean people who have risk factors and simply don’t know what they’ll miss.
In addition to the confusion, there was Kennedy’s meaning that coronavirus is not dangerous to pregnant women.
Covid-19 complications during pregnancy could include premature birth and serious illnesses in the mother, and the Maternal Fetal Medicine Association said it would “strongly reaffirm” its recommendations for vaccination during pregnancy.
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The Associated Press School of Health Sciences is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institution’s Science and Education Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. AP is solely responsible for all content.
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