ATLANTA, Georgia (KERO) — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of about 20 million Americans have gotten the bivalent covid booster, with 4 million getting the jab last week alone. However, the amount of people who have received the bivalent booster, which targets the original strain as well as two omicron variants, is less than 10 percent of the eligible population.
A White House official says about 20 percent of senior citizens were among those getting the bivalent vaccine. Health officials say covid-19 rates are falling in the United States, but fear that trend could reverse itself once winter sets in.
A CDC advisory committee, the Independent Advisory Committee on Immunization, is recommending that the covid vaccine be added to regular immunization schedules for 2023. The committee voted unanimously to make the recommendation for both children and adults.
Whether the recommendation is enforced is up to local and state health authorities. For example, school districts will have to decide whether to add the covid vaccine to routine requirements for school immunizations.
The recommendation comes as Pfizer has announced that their version of the vaccine will no longer be available for free in a few weeks. As government contracts wrap up, Pfizer’s vaccine will start to be sold for up to $130 dollars, the commercial list price, per dose. In comparison, one dose of adult flu vaccine costs about $20 dollars.
The company believes most people will not actually have to pay the full list price out of pocket. Insurance companies will likely pick up the tab for many people, and Pfizer will be continuing its Patient Assistance Program that helps provide uninsured people with access to the vaccines they need.
