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The Covid vaccine just got a lot more expensive—if you're uninsured (www.motherjones.com)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/news

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

All but three US states have very high or high levels of Covid-19 in their sewage right now, according to the CDC. Due to a drop in efforts to count individual cases, that data is the most accurate way to paint a picture of the current extent of Covid cases—and it’s bad.

In addition to wearing respirators, getting the updated Covid vaccine (mRNA shots were approved last week, and the Novavax vaccine this week) is an important way to reduce one’s chance of getting the infectious disease. Even if a person contracts it, the shot will reduce their risk of death and developing Long Covid.

But for uninsured and underinsured Americans, the vaccine has just gotten significantly more costly. On August 22, the CDC sunsetted its Bridge Access Program, which provided free Covid vaccines to 1.5 million Americans over the past year. A CDC spokesperson told Mother Jones that the sunsetting was a consequence of the new 2024-2025 vaccines being approved—which meant the 2023-2024 vaccines could no longer be administered. But many people did not know that the program would only cover the vaccine approved last year—just that it would end in August, potentially after the new shots became available. The CDC’s page on the program, which was live until some point Friday, did not clarify any of this information.

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[–] cheese_greater 29 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

This is gonna be a fascinating study in watching the private insurance/market for healthcare sophistry line of arguments completely evaporate in the face of RealPathologik

It doesn't matter if "fuck me, you got yours", if you don't help take care of the other who can much easier catch Covid, it will get around to you whether you like it/not, it lines up with your worldview or "philosphical" underpinnings, or you were completely responsible and did everything else right beside pure privilege in keeping yourself insulated from it otherwise.

We are all connected and we are inextricably bound on an economic as well as +socio-physico context

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

No arguments will evaporate because the rich dudes that make and listen to those arguments all have fancy private insurance. It's a non-issue for them.

[–] candybrie 4 points 3 months ago

Their point is that the more people who have covid the worse it is for everyone, even those who are vaccinated.

[–] FlyingSquid 28 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Good thing viruses really care about insurance status.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago

1000s of years of being frozen in permafrost gave them time to rethink our future. :p

[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 months ago (5 children)

I just got both COVID and flu shots at CVS on Friday. Walked in, got two little jabs, and was out in less than five minutes. Didn't even ask for insurance or any sort of payment whatsoever. I left thinking "well goddamn, this is how it should go for everything."

[–] Ghostalmedia 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

My CVS also didn’t ask, but seeing how others in line were talking about insurance coverage for shots, I think they didn’t ask me because my insurance info was already on file.

[–] Crashumbc 1 points 3 months ago

Correct answer.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

I also got mine on Friday. Entering insurance info on the appointment site wasn't required but I put it in anyway. My insurance covers it but I was thinking if I took it for free without insurance, I might be taking away a dose that can otherwise be used by someone without insurance. Not sure if that logic is correct.

[–] FlyingSquid 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

My wife's work is having a free clinic next week, so I'm getting one or the other. I am staggering them by two weeks now though because I got them both at the same time a couple of years ago and felt worse than I did than when I actually got COVID (I'm still getting regularly vaccinated though). Last year when I staggered them, I felt fine both times.

I kind of feel like I should get the flu shot first just so that elderly people can get theirs when they need it, but maybe that's not necessary.

[–] Ejh3k 3 points 3 months ago

I got both of mine yesterday. And as I drove away, I was thinking about how much the government will make this free and accessible as long as they know it will save them immensely on the back end.

[–] captainlezbian 2 points 3 months ago

Not cvs but that’s how mine went today

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago

It's in the fourth paragraph:

A rhetorical staple of the Biden administration is that it’s ensured people have the tools to fight Covid—but that is not the case for people unable to afford the updated vaccine out-of-pocket, which typically costs around $200.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

TLDR / save you a click:

A rhetorical staple of the Biden administration is that it’s ensured people have the tools to fight Covid—but that is not the case for people unable to afford the updated vaccine out-of-pocket, which typically costs around $200

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

Not really his fault tbh. The funding for the vaccine programs flows through congress.

[+] [email protected] -9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (6 children)

To preface this, I'm totally for vaccines and have convinced others to get the COVID shot...

Two things... I haven't found anything from a white paper to read up on this new vaccine. Like I think the last thing I found was like 'its the best we got but local variants will persist.' And my hesitation is that when ever I got my COVID vax and boosters... It fucked me up bad. I was useless for three days each time. I don't react well to medicine... I can't take a full xyzal without loosing a day. I did catch COVID once and I realize most logical reason it wasn't that bad was because of the shot, but in my past I never get the flu or any thing that bad. Like I get sniffles at worse .. so I guess I'm wondering/hoping I don't need the shot... I couldn't move those three days from the vax and I'm wondering if it's another medication I'm overly sensitive to. But I will likely put up with loosing a weekend to try to consider others around me as I'm not sure how to prove or test that.

I guess my point is I'm looking for more data to make a good decision here.

edit - I'm confused by the downvotes... I'm getting the shot, I just want more info and yet have been provided anything but downvote or general information about covid. I'm asking data on the new vaccine but I don't want to seem to come off combative... like I'm for it lol shrugs

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago

COVID has long lasting effects across your entire body, it impacts your immune and cardiovascular systems for years after you get it.

Risks of heart attack, stroke, etc are increased 2.5x in the year after infection, increasing exponentially with the number of times you have been infected. In fact, the risk of pretty much ANY health problem skyrockets following a COVID infection.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Some people legitimately have a bad immune reaction to vaccines, for a wide variety of reasons. It could be a specific allergy to some component of the shot, or a number of other factors. This isn't unique to the COVID shot. It's relatively rare, but everyone who is unlucky to be one of that minority goes online to talk about it, so there this inflated sense of it happening that far outstrips the real world occurrence of it. I'm sorry that you have had bad reactions in the past. That sucks. Thankfully that's not the experience of most people.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Yeah, I keep up where i need to, but yeah medicine always wrecks me. It sucks, I really have to be careful and try stuff on days where I have a few days to burn if i react poorly. Fortunately, I haven't needed much medications growing up. But, yeah I'll probably just schedule a weekend where I don't need to go anywhere

[–] FlyingSquid 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I haven’t found anything from a white paper to read up on this new vaccine. Like I think the last thing I found was like ‘its the best we got but local variants will persist.’

Would you be able to understand it if you did? Do you have the level of understanding of virology and vaccine research that would require for something on this level of complexity?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It's part of my career to review white papers. Mostly from the FDA food guidelines but I do enjoy reading white papers. Cuts the bias if I can go through the methodology and data set. I have a chemistry degree with an interest in computational science, inorganic and polymer. I'm on some regulatory review team at work as well...

I really didn't want to come off so anti vax.... not my intent, like i'm going to get it I just wanted more info which I haven't seen yet.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I am severely allergic to eggs so no annual flu shot for me but I have gotten multiple COVID shots without issue. I am a bit worried about a combo flu-covid shit in the future and will talk with my doctor about my options. I will say that it is possible to work with a physician or allergist and take half-shots of some vaccines. This is where you take half the shot in two spaced out doses to eventually get full coverage. I will admit that it didn't work for me with the flu vaccine but it was definitely worth a try and the reaction I had wasn't as bad as a full dose.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Thank you ... I've been meaning to get a regular Dr anyway... seems like a good two for one solution.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

If the vaccine hits you like that... Imagine how much worse COVID would be. That's my data lol

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I don't have a white paper on hand, but they work like the flu vaccine in that they are updated for new variants, that's why we need to take boosters. I think this new version is for the KP2 variant.