The latest COVID-19 vaccines are here, but the federal program offering them for free isn't here • West Virginia Watch

As the latest round of COVID-19 vaccines becomes available at pharmacies and clinics across the country, local health officials in West Virginia say they're waiting to hear from the state and federal governments about whether there will be assistance in getting the vaccine to uninsured or underinsured residents.

Bridge Access Program, Delivered to West Virginia last year 13,766 people Free COVID-19 vaccinations for the uninsured ended in August.

A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that despite the program's end, the center will continue to provide assistance with COVID-19 vaccinations for uninsured and underinsured people.

“CDC is strengthening vaccination programs through support to state and local health departments to help uninsured and underinsured people access COVID-19 vaccines and protect them from the worst effects of the virus,” the spokesperson said. “This investment will provide additional resources to ensure these life-saving vaccines remain available after the Bridge Access Program, which vaccinated 1.5 million people against COVID-19 last year, ends at the end of August.”

But local health departments in West Virginia say they have not yet heard from the state health department about whether and how much assistance they will receive. The state health department did not respond to emails seeking questions for this story.

“We're waiting to hear from the CDC, who will then relay that to the state health department and come up with a solution to get the vaccine to the uninsured and underinsured,” Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department Director Howard Gamble told West Virginia Watch. “So we'll have to wait.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older To protect yourself from serious illness, hospitalization, and death from the disease this fall,

The vaccine is currently available at select locations, including CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens. Most health insurance plans provide the vaccine at no extra cost. For people without health insurance, the cost of the vaccine at CVS will be $202, a spokesperson said. Copays for the uninsured may vary depending on the pharmaceutical company that makes the vaccine and whether pharmacies charge an extra fee for the vaccination.

Gamble said starting next week, local health departments should be able to order vaccine doses for people covered by the Children's Health Insurance Program and Vaccines for Children, federal programs for uninsured or underinsured children.

Health departments have the option to purchase vaccines for the uninsured, but the “vast majority” of health departments in West Virginia can't afford to do that, Gamble said.

“In other parts of the country, larger health systems, larger county health systems, etc., may be able to do that, or may have budgets set aside for vaccines for the uninsured and underinsured,” he said. “Some have done that in the past for influenza, for example. But we don't have that budget, so we're going to wait for the CDC to make recommendations to state health departments and then we'll order the vaccine or come up with another solution.”

Monongalia County Health Department Health Officer Brian Huggins said once the federal program ends, the health department will no longer be able to provide vaccines to uninsured residents for free unless West Virginia steps in to help. The state has access to a vaccine assistance program, but it has not yet been determined whether the program will include COVID-19 vaccines, Huggins said.

“When the bridge program is eliminated, unfortunately, for those who don't have insurance, it's not going to be as much support or assistance as we know it right now,” Huggins said, “so that's going to leave a big gap for those who are uninsured.”

Health authorities: Bridge Access Program The project was scheduled to continue through December but funding ran out, Huggins said.

Huggins said Monongalia County can offer a sliding scale fee structure for vaccination fees, but not for the cost of the vaccine, which is about $150.

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, 5.9% of West Virginia residentsIn 2022, about 106,000 people had no health insurance.

meanwhile, Hospitalization for COVID-19 The number is on the rise domestically.

Huggins said Monongalia County has seen a surge in cases, especially since schools reopened for the fall semester. Summer heat is a factor, keeping many people indoors and making transmission easier. Health officials had hoped COVID-19 would settle into a pattern similar to the seasonal flu, but that hasn't happened, he said.

COVID-19 remains highly contagious, he said, although deaths and hospitalizations are not as high as in 2021.

“[Deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19] “Just like influenza and RSV, it's still out there,” Huggins said, “and we're hoping that people who want to be protected, especially by getting vaccinated, will be protected, but we're now seeing the price go up because of new technology and the fact that companies weren't able to recoup some of the vaccine development costs in the same way during emergency use.”

Huggins said people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and likely those without health insurance, are more likely to become seriously ill from the virus — another example of how wealthier Americans have better access to health care than others, he said.

“I'm very hopeful that something will come to fruition,” Huggins said, “whether it's through the state of West Virginia or the federal government, I believe something will come to fruition. I just don't know yet what it will be.”