For people with little or no insurance, free vaccines are available through a variety of programs.
The website, vaccines.gov, also tracks flu vaccine providers and can be searched by zip code. Like other scheduling websites, it is updated as supplies arrive at locations.
Should I get it now or wait?
That depends on your personal circumstances.
For most people, the ideal time to get vaccinated is now, CVS’s Saade-Harfouch said. It takes about two weeks to develop immunity, she said. A vaccine this week won’t trigger full immunity until October.
“COVID season is already on the rise. There are many patients who become infected with the COVID virus. The flu is on the way; RSV too,” she said. “We want everyone to be protected from all of these viruses as quickly as possible.”
If you have been recently infected, you may be given a vaccine. reduce your chances of becoming infected again, Saade-Harfouch said, as several strains are now circulating.
But he said to wait at least two weeks after symptoms appear before getting the vaccine. This ensures that you do not infect other people in that space.
Still, since an infection generates temporary immunity, you can also delay the injection up to three monthsaccording to Saade-Harfouch, reflecting CDC recommendations.
I’ll have to wait?
Not likely.
However, the shots are not likely to draw large crowds to pharmacies, especially compared to the early days of the COVID vaccine when, in 2021, the first vaccine recipients faced long lines and crowded online schedules.
While more than half of Americans reported being “very” or “somewhat” interested in a vaccine, only 18 percent of Michiganders (about 1.8 million people) had boosters available last year. Rates were especially low among young adults. Just over 7 percent of Michiganders ages 18 to 24 received those boosters, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The upcoming presidential election has once again sparked a vaccine craze that could lead to even greater hesitancy.
A day after the CDC’s decision last week to authorize new vaccines, Florida Governor Rick DeSantis urged Florida residents under 65 to skip the new COVID vaccine, saying he was protecting them from being “guinea pigs” for the CDC and FDA. He was backed by the state surgeon general, Dr. AS José A. tumba.
Does COVID still exist?
Yes. It is much less deadly than during the height of the pandemic and the vast majority of the population has some level of herd immunity, either from previous vaccinations or from having contracted the virus. Still, deaths continue to occur. And on Monday there were 469 patients in Michigan hospitals who tested positive for COVID, a significant increase from a month ago, according to the most recent state data.
The state has also experienced a small but constant rebound in confirmed cases of COVID-19.
And the cost?
Vaccines will likely remain free for most people.
COVID vaccines are free for Michiganders covered by Medicare Parts B and D, as well as Medicaid, according to information presented to a CDC advisory panel last week. And commercial insurance plans typically cover the costs of panel-recommended vaccines.
For the underinsured or uninsured, free vaccines are available through the federal government. Bridge Access Programwhich distributes doses to local health departments, federally qualified health centers, migrant health centers and tribal health centers.
The state health department, which will receive an initial allocation of nearly 30,000 doses, will also provide vaccines through the Michigan Adult Vaccination Programor MI-AVP and the Vaccines for children program, MDHHS spokesperson Chelsea Wuth told Bridge.
What about the other shots?
The COVID vaccine arrives just as Michigan faces its annual respiratory season. Last year, nearly 3.2 million Michiganders received the flu vaccine, about 79 percent of the state’s goal of 4 million people, according to the state’s flu survey. vaccine board.
This year, vaccine makers hope to supply at least 156 million doses of the flu vaccine nationwide during the 2023-2024 season.
And that recommendation is simple: The CDC recommends that almost everyone six months and older get one.