PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The White House has acknowledged that this season’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has been less than smooth. Appointments across the country have experienced some hiccups due to insurance billing and supply issues.
About 2 million Americans have gotten the new COVID-19 shot in the two weeks since its approval despite early barriers from insurance companies and other glitches, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The updated COVID-19 vaccines are also still frustratingly scarce for young children. Health officials assured the kid shots have started shipping.
And this time around, the government isn’t buying and distributing shots for free. Now drugstores, doctors’ offices and other providers had to place their own orders, and sometimes canceled appointments if supplies didn’t arrive in time. Some people had to wait for their insurance companies to update the billing codes needed to cover them or risk paying out of pocket.
Manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna have shipped millions of doses. They say there’s plenty of supply and more appointments have started opening up, at least for people 12 and older. Insurance companies told HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra they’ve largely resolved the paperwork issues blocking some patients’ vaccinations.
Local health officials hope those headaches won’t deter people from getting vaccinated. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole expects it to take about two more weeks to work out the snags and get the latest COVID-19 vaccine to pharmacies.
“If this isn’t working for you now, wait a week or two and try again,” she advised.
The shots are supposed to be provided free in-network to the insured. For the uninsured or underinsured, the CDC has opened what it’s calling a “bridge” program to provide free shots at certain sites.
There have been reported instances of people having to go through their insurance billing after accidentally being charged for the shot — and it can get expensive, ranging from $100 to $130.
Dr. Julia DeJoseph, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Delaware Valley Community Health, said there are programs available to cover the vaccine cost for those without insurance.
“The only time I would ever say ‘don’t get it’ is if it’s going to cause a financial barrier for you,” she said, “[but] we have created processes where that shouldn’t be the case.”
Some question whether there should be a charge at all for a vaccine developed with taxpayer money. “It seems unjust to me,” Bettigole said.
“The monoclonal antibody vaccines have actually been in development for the past 30 years and the things to really push it forward required public interest in funding, and the pandemic did that,” DeJoseph added.
Other things to know:
Why do I need another COVID-19 shot?
This year’s vaccine is updated to protect against newer versions of the constantly evolving coronavirus. Already there’s been a late summer jump in infections, hospitalizations and deaths. And so far the new vaccine recipe appears to be a good match to the variants currently circulating.
Protection against COVID-19, whether from vaccination or from an earlier infection, wanes over time — and most Americans haven’t had a vaccine dose in about a year. Everyone 5 and older will need just one shot this fall even if they’ve never had a prior vaccination, while younger children may need additional doses depending on their vaccination and infection history.
Why can’t parents find shots for younger kids?
Adult doses got shipped first, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the CDC. Doses for the under-12 set have begun shipping, and “the supply is filling out,” she said.
Drugstore chain CVS said its doses for ages 5 and older began arriving, although supplies vary by location, while its MinuteClinic locations anticipate opening appointments for tots as young as 18 months.
As for pediatricians, they’ve had to guess how many doses to buy up-front while waiting to learn how much insurance companies would reimburse them for each shot, said Dr. Jesse Hackell of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He said early parent demand is heartening but that pediatricians expect to spend lots of time this fall explaining to hesitant families how important COVID-19 vaccination is even for healthy children.
Pfizer said it was making some changes in hopes of motivating pediatricians to buy more shots for children under 5 — including offering a refund for doses that go unused, even partially used vials.
What about the flu vaccine?
Fewer Americans got a flu vaccine last year than before the coronavirus pandemic — a discouraging gap that CDC hopes to reverse.
People need a flu vaccine every fall because influenza also mutates each year. Like with COVID-19, flu is most dangerous to older adults, the very young and people with weak immune systems, lung, heart or other chronic health problems, or who are pregnant.
There are multiple kinds of flu vaccines, including a nasal spray version for certain younger people. More importantly, three kinds are specifically recommended for seniors because they do a better job revving up an older adult’s immune system.
Can I get flu and COVID shots at the same time?
Yes, although one in each arm might be more comfortable.
Who needs the new RSV vaccine?
RSV is a cold-like nuisance for most people, and not as well-known as the flu. But RSV packs hospitals every winter and kills several hundred tots and thousands of seniors. The CDC says already, RSV cases are rising in the Southeast.
RSV vaccines from GSK and Pfizer are approved for adults 60 and older.
Drugstores have adequate supplies but some seniors are reporting hurdles such as requirements to get a prescription. That’s because the CDC recommended that seniors talk with their doctors about the new vaccine. Cohen said it was meant just for education about a virus that people may not know much about.
“We want folks to ... get access to the vaccine as quickly as possible,” she said.
What about babies and RSV?
The FDA also has approved Pfizer’s RSV vaccine to be given late in pregnancy so moms-to-be pass virus-fighting antibodies to their fetuses, offering some protection at birth. The CDC is recommending that pregnancy vaccinations be offered between September and January, when RSV tends to be most common.
There's no vaccine for children but babies whose mothers didn't get vaccinated in pregnancy may get an injection of lab-made antibodies to guard against RSV. Called Beyfortus, the one-dose shot from Sanofi and AstraZeneca is different than a vaccine, which teaches the body to make its own infection-fighting antibodies, but is similarly protective. Cohen said it should be available in October.