Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also appointed critics of coronavirus vaccines to a key Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee that recommends immunization (and may add more). That committee isn’t scheduled to meet to discuss coronavirus vaccines until Sept. 18, and its decision will guide doctors, insurance companies and states in how they ensure Americans have access to the shots.
Until then, doctors, pharmacies and state health departments are scrambling to adapt to the confusion over a vaccine that is no longer broadly recommended. And patients are puzzled about how to get coronavirus vaccine shots that were once free and widely available.
Here are some tips on getting your shot — and navigating the confusion.
Cast a wide net
Doctors and patient advocates stress you might need to make a lot of phone calls, book multiple online appointments with different providers and scour the internet for reputable advice from medical organizations to secure a shot.
Advocates report that a CDC website intended to help patients find vaccine providers has not been working. But other websites, such as EasyVax (run by pharmaceutical company GSK) and VaccineInformation, feature other useful online tools for finding pharmacies or federally funded clinics that might offer coronavirus vaccines.
Local health departments often administer free or low-cost vaccines, even offering transportation, said Caitlin Donovan, a senior director at the nonprofit Patient Advocate Foundation.
“All this may change depending on where you live,” Donovan said. “California, Massachusetts and New York will be different than Florida. Put in the extra time to see what’s available through public and private resources. It will be worth your time. Your health is important.”
Know the pharmacy rules
Most Americans get their vaccines at pharmacies, which are regulated state by state. Some state regulations block pharmacies from administering vaccines to people without a prescription if they haven’t been recommended by the CDC. Some governors are issuing orders to lift those restrictions, so check whether your state is among them.
Call multiple pharmacies to see whether they are stocked and whether you can get it without a prescription. Some pharmacies in the same communities have different interpretations of what they’re allowed to do.
Consider crossing the border if your state requires prescriptions. In the Mid-Atlantic, residents of D.C. and Virginia have flocked to Maryland, where prescriptions are not required.
“Ultimately, we want consumers to be persistent and flexible,” said Lisa Bercu, senior director of health policy at the National Consumers League, an advocacy organization. “There is a lot of confusion — not only among patients but doctors and pharmacists. If you hit a roadblock today, try again tomorrow.”
After recent changes in some state pharmacy laws, CVS is offering vaccines without a prescription in these states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Read More at The Washington Post.
