As COVID-19 cases rise once again, health authorities are encouraging people to receive the latest vaccines. However, it has been revealed that uninsured individuals may have to pay around $200 for the vaccine.
According to ABC7 News on September 5, the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine support fund has been depleted earlier than expected, ending free vaccine access for the uninsured.
The vaccine support program was initially planned to run through December, but it was prematurely halted due to budget constraints cited by Congress and other federal bodies.
In connection with this, Congress had cut $6.1 billion from the COVID-19 emergency relief fund as part of efforts to prevent a government shutdown. Additionally, Congress did not approve the Biden administration’s request for a budget to continue offering free vaccines.
Currently, there are approximately 25 million uninsured people in the United States. For them, receiving the latest COVID-19 vaccine will cost $200. In contrast, those with health insurance can get the updated Pfizer or Moderna vaccines with no out-of-pocket costs.
The current surge in COVID-19 cases is primarily driven by the “KP.3 virus,” a subvariant of the Omicron strain. Symptoms of KP.3 infection include sore throat, headache, fever, cough, and loss of taste or smell, which are similar to general COVID-19 symptoms.
To prevent infection, it is recommended to avoid crowded indoor events and opt for outdoor activities whenever possible. Other preventive measures include frequent handwashing, using hand sanitizer, wearing masks indoors, and getting the latest vaccine.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will relaunch its website (COVIDtests.gov) at the end of this month, where individuals can request four free COVID-19 test kits per household for delivery by mail.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
