A new COVID-19 booster vaccine was approved in mid-September and will soon be available at Kaiser Permanente facilities. The healthcare provider, based in Oakland, announced that booster shots will be administered starting on Monday, September 25. According to an email sent to Kaiser members at 5 p.m., vaccine appointments for members aged 12 and older will begin on September 28.
The email stated, “Appointments for children under 12 will become available as we receive supply.”
In select locations, walk-in vaccinations will also be available, although Kaiser did not clarify where.
Earlier on Friday, Kaiser told the Southern California News Group, “We will begin administering updated COVID-19 vaccines in most areas we serve…and possibly earlier at some locations.”
Also see: Kaiser’s 75,000 union employees to strike on October 4 if no deal is reached
On September 11, the FDA approved updated boosters from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech for individuals aged 12 and older. Younger individuals can receive the shots under an emergency use order.
The latest vaccines target a subvariant of COVID known as the XBB.1.5 Omicron, as well as other closely related strains of the coronavirus.
Also see: Mayo Clinic expert answers questions about the new COVID-19 vaccine
Some Kaiser members have been eager to receive their boosters, which have been unavailable since fall 2022.
Frustration over the lack of availability was expressed on Twitter by Kaiser members, who noted that their healthcare provider did not have boosters and was no longer working with drugstores to provide the shots.
User Ben Ross wrote, “I have Kaiser Permanente insurance but they don’t have it available yet so I made an appointment at Walgreens. Walgreens said I had to get it through Kaiser and wouldn’t even let me pay out of pocket!”
Another Kaiser member was able to get a booster at CVS, but paid $190 for it.
Some Kaiser members were informed by appointment line operators that the COVID booster would be available by late September or early October.
Booster shots and vaccines are free when obtained through an insurance provider or participating drugstores connected to those healthcare providers. This policy changed after federal funding ended when the pandemic’s state of emergency was lifted earlier this year.
Also see: Huntington Beach wants to declare itself a ‘no mask and no vaccine mandate’ city
Kaiser is not part of the drugstore booster program and recommends that its members use company facilities for the boosters. The cost is free when using a Kaiser facility, according to the company.
A federal expert panel recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months receive the latest booster. However, only 17% of the US population received the previous booster compared to approximately half who received the first booster in fall 2021.
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