Registered Nurse Orlyn Grace administers a COVID-19 booster vaccination to Jeanie Merriman at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on April 6, 2022 in San Rafael, California. (Justin Sullivan | Getty Images)
People in West Virginia without access to adequate health insurance coverage can get an updated COVID-19 vaccine through their local health department this fall, a spokesperson for the West Virginia Department of Health said Tuesday.
The state Bureau for Public Health got additional funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meant to support the purchases of COVID-19 vaccines for uninsured or underinsured children and adults for the 2024-25 fall respiratory illness season, Gailyn M. Markham, deputy director of communications for the state Office of Shared Administration wrote in an email to West Virginia Watch.
The additional funding comes after the end of the federal Bridge Access Program, which last year supplied the state with 13,766 free doses of COVID-19 vaccine for uninsured people. The program ended in August. Officials from local health departments had told West Virginia Watch last month that many would not have been able to afford the vaccines for uninsured people without support from the state or federal government.
Many health insurance plans cover the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine. For those with no health insurance, an adult dose of the vaccine is about $140 out of pocket, and it may be more with fees from the pharmacy administering the vaccine
Residents should reach out to their local health department if they’re uninsured or underinsured and they need a COVID-19 vaccine, Markham said.
The CDC recommends everyone six months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall in order to protect themselves from severe illness, hospitalization and death from the virus.
In a news release Monday, state health officials urged residents to get a vaccine and to use a federal program that provides free COVID-19 tests “as COVID-19 cases rise in the state.” COVID-19 cases increased this summer in the state and around the country, though the severity of the virus has lessened since the start of the pandemic.
State health officer Dr. Matt Christiansen said it’s important for people to stay up to date on their vaccines because protection from the shots wanes over time.
The new vaccines “are designed to better target currently circulating variants, offering improved protection against severe illness and hospitalization,” the department said in the news release. The updated vaccines differ from previous versions because they’ve been adapted to enhance immune response against the most prevalent strains of the virus.
West Virginia households may order four COVID-19 tests, through a collaboration between the U.S. Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the U.S. Postal Service. The tests can be ordered at COVIDtests.gov. The tests are especially important as the holiday season approaches, the Department of Health said.
“This initiative ensures that West Virginians have access to essential tools to protect themselves and their loved ones as we enter this busy respiratory season,” Department of Health cabinet secretary Dr. Sherri Young said in the news release “ With updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines available, it is crucial to stay informed and prepared. Testing remains a vital part of our response.”
For more information on availability of COVID-19 vaccines, people should contact their local health departments, the Department of Health said.
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