ASHEVILLE – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has authorized an updated coronavirus vaccine that targets variants currently in circulation. September 11th news release. Local health experts, including the Cox Street Health Department, say doses should arrive in Buncombe County this week.
People age 5 and older are eligible to receive the latest vaccine as long as they have not received a COVID-19 vaccine within the past two months. From 6 months to 4 years of age, you can receive different doses depending on your vaccination status. Public health officials recommend everyone 6 months and older get a booster shot.
The FDA said in a release that the agency expects COVID-19 vaccines to be updated annually, similar to influenza vaccines, unless there are more serious variants. The FDA says these vaccines are made using a similar process to previous formulations and have similar efficacy. North Carolina state epidemiologist Zach Moore told the Citizen Times on Sept. 13 that there is currently no dominant variant, but the circulating strain is in the Micron subvariant family. . The Omicron variant first became prominent in November 2021.
Moore said people who had a “strong reaction” to a previous coronavirus vaccination may be able to expect a similar reaction to the latest vaccine.
“You might want to plan a lighter day,” he said.
According to a Sept. 13 announcement from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services: news release, health care providers began pre-ordering fall coronavirus vaccines on Sept. 8, and supplies could start arriving in the state by the end of this week. According to NCDHHS, providers and pharmacies must order supplies directly from manufacturers.
Most health insurance plans will cover the coronavirus vaccine for free, according to NCDHHS. pediatric vaccinesis a federal vaccine supply program that provides free vaccines to children 18 and under who are eligible for Medicaid, are uninsured, or do not have insurance that adequately covers the cost of the vaccine. .Some adults also qualify for free vaccinations under the federal government. bridge access program.
CVS and Walgreens have contracts with the federal government to administer the program, the CDC said. Moore didn’t know exactly how many shots North Carolina would be allotted.
These programs would be a boon for North Carolinians who are looking forward to expanding Medicaid, the state-run insurance company for low-income people. North Carolina becomes the 40th state to expand the program after Gov. Roy Cooper signed the bill on March 27. The expansion would cover people with incomes below the federal poverty level and above state Medicaid income limits. However, a provision in the bill would make the program’s implementation timing coincide with passage of the state budget, which is still under discussion in Raleigh.
more: 9,000 people in WNC and across the state will lose health insurance every month until Medicaid is expanded.
Moore encouraged people who don’t have access to vaccines covered by their insurance to call their primary care provider, local pharmacy, health department or community health center to find out where they can get the vaccine.
Buncombe County will provide vaccines through its vaccination clinic at 40 Cox Avenue. County Public Health Director Ellis Matheson told the Citizen-Times that he expects the county to receive the vaccine soon.
Matheson and Moore encouraged people to get their flu shots at the same time. There is also a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) available for people age 60 and older.
Both public health experts encouraged those who have tested positive for COVID-19 to adhere to the following regulations: CDC COVID-19 Isolation Guidelinesas well as guidelines for masks and testing for exposed people.
The Citizen Times spoke with employees at the Hendersonville Road CVS and Walgreens who said their respective employers are waiting for vaccine shipments to arrive before offering online appointments. CVS is still in the process of approving the vaccine.
more: Buncombe County has coronavirus cases at eight-month high, but tests are hard to find
more: New booster shots coming soon as coronavirus cases rise in North Carolina and Buncombe
more: 9,000 people in WNC and across the state will lose health insurance every month until Medicaid is expanded.
What are the current coronavirus levels in Buncombe County?
As of Sept. 6, the Buncombe County Metropolitan Sewer District’s COVID-19 wastewater levels are between the 80th and 99th percentile compared to historical measurements at the same location. status tracking. While the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has increased over the past week, the numbers remain low enough that Buncombe County is in the CDC’s “green zone,” the lowest level in the federal measurement system.
Asheville City Schools Follow Guidelines for Mountain Community Health Education Center According to spokesperson Dillon Huffman, this is to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. These instructions include policies such as staying home, returning to school, and wearing masks. Huffman said the district relies on children to self-report if they get sick and to report to the county health department if cases start to rise. School nurses are making free coronavirus tests available for families who can’t afford them.
The Citizen Times previously reported that free testing is available at county DHHS offices and various locations around Asheville.of federal government The free COVID-19 test email program was suspended on May 31st.
Huffman said schools can’t track how the virus spreads within their schools because the CDC doesn’t require people to report COVID-19 infections. However, he noted that attendance numbers have not wavered.
Buncombe County Schools is following the same COVID-19 prevention guidelines as Asheville City Schools, spokeswoman Stacia Harris said in an email to the Citizen-Times. In response to a question about whether the rise in COVID-19 cases is leading to an increase in absenteeism, Harris pointed out that the county’s schools are also not tracking COVID-19 infections. .
Citizen Times Education reporter McKenna Leavens contributed to this report.
Mitchell Black covers Buncombe County and health care for the Citizen-Times. Email mblack@citizentimes.com or follow us on Twitter @MitchABlack. Please support local journalism. subscription To Citizen Times.