Published on April 24, 2023
Government To Stop Providing COVID-19 Vaccines At No Cost
With the COVID-19 national emergency status set to expire on May 11, federal officials have said that they no longer plan to purchase doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and booster for all Americans as they have since the vaccine rolled out. This move allows the vaccines to be sold commercially and gives power to manufacturers to set their own prices.
The details are still being worked out.
Currently, people can still get the vaccine at no cost from the stockpile of doses the federal government has already purchased and facilities like Owensboro Health have secured. After that stockpile is depleted, most people will not face out-of-pocket costs thanks to private health insurance plans, as well as Medicaid and Medicare, covering the expense.
“The Owensboro Health Pharmacy will remain flexible and adjust to meet the newest guidelines and recommendations,” Jason Collins, Director of Pharmacy, said. “We will remain educated on the latest information allowing Owensboro Health to provide the highest care to our community.”
Earlier this week, officials authorized an additional round of bivalent booster shots for adults who are 65 and older, as well as those who are immunocompromised. People who are 65 and older can get a second bivalent booster shot four months after their previous one, and those with compromised immune systems can get an additional dose two months after their last shot. The bivalent drug targets the Omnicron variants of COVID-19 and the original monovalent vaccine is no longer authorized for use.
An updated vaccine is expected later this year.
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.
On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.