JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
There is finally some clarity on who can get the updated COVID-19 shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced new guidelines, and NPR health correspondent Rob Stein is here to help us understand what we all need to know. Hi.
ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Hey, Juana.
SUMMERS: Rob, so tell us, what did the CDC have to say?
STEIN: Sure. The CDC finally acted yesterday and says more people are eligible for one of the boosters than the Food and Drug Administration initially allowed when the FDA approved the reformulated shots in August. So anyone aged 6 months and older should now be eligible again. But the CDC did create one new hoop that people have to jump through to get a shot. Everyone now has to have a conversation first with a health care professional about the risks and benefits.
SUMMERS: OK, so adding another step there. Do you have a sense of how much of a barrier that might be?
STEIN: You know, Juana, for a lot of people, it may not be a big deal. The CDC defines health care professional pretty broadly to include not only doctors but also nurse practitioners and pharmacists. So an extra stop at a doctor's office may not be necessary. And the CDC's action makes clear that any pharmacist anywhere will be able to give the shots. CVS, the nation's biggest pharmacy chain, says people won't have to fill out any forms or even have to have a conversation with a pharmacist unless they have questions.
But some pharmacists and doctors may still require a conversation, or they may be hesitant to give the shots to anyone who isn't at high risk because of all the mixed messages and changing rules. And some doctors just may not stock the shots this year. So don't be surprised if you still encounter problems. I talked about this with Dr. Michelle Fiscus. She's the chief medical officer for the Association of Immunization Managers.
MICHELLE FISCUS: It's not as easy as if we just had a blanket universal recommendation that anybody who wants a vaccine can get a vaccine. But there aren't huge restrictions like the need to meet eligibility criteria to get a vaccine either. So it's not as restrictive as it could have been, but it still puts barriers in the way.
SUMMERS: Rob, a question probably on a lot of people's minds is - will insurance still pay for the shots?
STEIN: The answer is yes. The CDC's action guarantees that, and it also guarantees that Medicaid and Medicare will pay for them as well. And the federal Vaccines for Children program, which provides vaccines for free to 40% of all children, can now finally start shipping out the shots. The program started taking orders yesterday, so shots should start arriving within about a week.
SUMMERS: Last thing, Rob, a question I've been hearing a lot among my social circles is - how good is the protection from these updated vaccines, and when should people get them?
STEIN: Yeah. The updated shots look like they're a pretty good match for the strains that are currently circulating, so they should provide pretty good protection. Timing is a personal decision. COVID's still out there, but the winter surge hasn't started yet, so you could wait a bit to make sure your immunity boost is strongest over the holidays and during the surge. But anyone who's at risk shouldn't wait if it's been at least two or three months since their last COVID illness or booster. And if you have any plans to travel or go to a big indoor gathering anytime soon, you might think about getting a shot right away because it takes a couple of weeks for the immunity to kick in. And parents who want to vaccinate their young kids should probably start as soon as they can, since children need two shots spaced four weeks apart the first time they get immunized.
SUMMERS: NPR health correspondent Rob Stein, thanks as always.
STEIN: You bet. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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