Now that the latest COVID-19 vaccination has been approved, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is working to make it available, recently updating their website with details about the vaccine.
Individuals are being directed to https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov and https://www.vaccines.gov/. While the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has said that the website will be updated on a rolling basis, the latter website takes people directly to details about vaccination sites by using their zip codes.
On September 11, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to include the 2023–24 formula. The CDC released specific guidance saying the “CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter.”
According to the DOHMH, Medicaid, Medicare, and most commercial health plans will fully cover the cost of vaccination.Those who are uninsured can get vaccinated through New York City Health Department locations, which can be found in the vaccine finder above.
The Biden Administration has also made a commitment to provide free vaccinations for uninsured individuals under the HHS Bridge Access Program. The first few weeks of the roll-out have found challenges, including cancellations of appointments for individuals, billing issues, and difficulties obtaining the vaccine.
Dr. Denis Nash, distinguished professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and executive director, CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health, said in an interview that “as we head into respiratory virus season, if you’re medically vulnerable or older than…60 or 65, you should be up to date on your vaccines. Other people who maybe aren’t yet eligible for another vaccine can wait until this monovalent booster comes around…probably September or early October ,and definitely get that.”
Nash spoke specifically about other illnesses, including the flu and RSV, and said that getting both vaccines is important and recommended doing so for those who are eligible. Those unfortunate enough to get COVID, Nash suggested, should “try to get access to antivirals from your healthcare provider or one of the hotlines in New York City.”
Time is of the essence in such situations. “You have to get it soon after you test positive for it to really work, but it does reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by quite a bit and it’s one of the best tools we have to prevent more deaths from COVID.”
Nash’s advice is shared by the CDC. In a recent press release, the CDC said “[v]accination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter.”
According to the DOHMH, those who should prioritize getting the vaccine include:
- People with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk for severe outcomes
- Those who are 65 or older
- Those who are pregnant
- People with certain disabilities that may increase their risk for having underlying chronic conditions or immunodeficiency
Free COVID tests are also available from the website https://www.covid.gov/tests.
Vasan, in a DOHMH statement on the 2023–24 COVID-19 vaccines said, “I’ll be pairing my COVID-19 vaccine with a flu shot, as I did last year, and recommend you do the same. And I’m especially excited that this is the first fall virus season when vaccines for COVID-19, RSV, and flu are available, which are the conditions that typically keep our emergency rooms busy in the fall and winter.”
Updates about the booster can be found at the CDC’s website page, “Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters”: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html.
To find a vaccine site near you, go to: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccines.page. Free COVID-19 tests are also available from the website https://www.covid.gov/tests.
For more information about vaccines and boosters in New York City, please go to www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccines.page. These and other resources can also be accessed on the AmNews COVID-19 page: https://amsterdamnews.com/covid/.