FREE TO US, BUT NEVER FREE COVID-19’S VACCINE WILL EVENTUALLY BE COMMERCIALIZED

Since the COVID-19 vaccine hit the streets, it’s been free to us. That’s because the vaccine was funded by the federal government. But that won’t last forever. The Biden Administration announced that the public health emergency is ending in May, and the COVID-19 vaccine will move to the private marketplace. Our contact at the New Mexico Department of Health says that the commercialization of the COVID-19 vaccine could happen in the fall.

Commercialization means that the COVID-19 vaccine will be handled by insurance companies, just like the flu shot. We’ll have to either get our COVID-19 shot covered through our health insurance plan, or pay for it ourselves. The out-of-pocket cost could be over a hundred dollars per dose. For those without prescription coverage, that pretty much translates to “I won’t be getting the vaccine.”

According to an article in Politico , the government is working on a plan to stockpile vaccines for the most vulnerable; that is, people without insurance. A separate federal program would provide free vaccinations for uninsured kids. Adults, however, will feel the effects of the COVID vaccine commercialization. When or how this will happen is still unknown. No specifics have been announced, and Congress is done funding the pandemic response.

COVID-19 isn’t going away. Health experts expect it to become endemic. That means it’s still around, but easier to control and treat, and kept in check with yearly booster shots. Keeping COVID-19 vaccines affordable to everyone, though, is critical to our public health.

NMBLC vaccine info Politico article