Last year, when COVID vaccines were still free, barely one in five Americans rolled up their sleeves to get the latest dose.
With some people now having to pay more than $100 for the shot, health officials expect even lower demand when the next version of the vaccine comes onto the market in the fall.
Meanwhile, there is a surprisingly sharp increase in COVID cases in Kansas and Missouri this summer.
As students return to school, more people are testing positive for the virus and ending up in the emergency room or hospital, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Kansas City, the number of reported cases in late July was more than double what it was in the same week last year and approaching the number from last winter. At the same time, wastewater tests in Kansas and Missouri showed virus activity that exceeded national and regional levels.
Of course, the virus is not what it once was. At the height of the pandemic in January 2021, the CDC reported that nearly 30% of weekly deaths in the U.S. were due to COVID. During the week of August 3, the disease was blamed for 1.5% of U.S. deaths.
But without the vaccine, the picture would look very different, experts said. At the same time, some health experts attribute the increase in August to the low vaccination rates last September and October.
“The urgency of COVID has obviously diminished,” said Cecelia Thomas, a health policy adviser at Washington-based Venn Strategies. “People are getting it now, or they see people getting it, and it’s like a cold. Not even a bad cold. But I don’t think they realize that it’s not as bad because they’re vaccinated.”
Immunity wanes over time as the virus mutates. Doctors recommend getting a new COVID shot every year so your immune system can keep up with the changes. But last year, when life seemed to have returned to normal for most people, many Americans forwent the COVID vaccine.
At the beginning of December, at the height of the vaccination season, only 16 percent of adults had received the booster shot. By mid-May, the rate had only risen to 22.5 percent.
Surprising increase in COVID cases in summer
Scientists had expected the number of COVID cases to rise in the summer because the virus is cyclical and declines in temperate climates as the seasons change. However, the current surge in COVID cases has surprised some health experts. It is infecting more people and more patients are having to go to hospitals.
Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, attributes the higher-than-expected number of cases to poor vaccination rates last year.
“Many of the people hospitalized today did not receive the vaccine last fall,” he said.
Hospitals are no longer reporting the number of patients admitted with COVID. But at least doctors are reporting that they are seeing more people getting sick from the virus. And some of the most vulnerable people are actually getting sick.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease physician at the University of Kansas Health System, said people should be aware of the current risks, especially if they are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill due to their age or underlying health conditions.
“Have a plan,” he said, “especially if you are at high risk.”
This may include wearing a mask in crowded places, practicing careful hand hygiene, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth in public, and of course keeping your vaccinations up to date.
A current COVID vaccine, recommended annually for everyone aged 6 months and older, can prevent severe disease and reduce the risk of long-COVID disease.
But it will become much more difficult in the future, especially for patients without health insurance, to get one of the current vaccines.
COVID vaccines likely to cost more this fall
At the height of the pandemic, COVID vaccinations were free for everyone. People just had to sign up for an appointment online and go to a nearby pharmacy. No cash required.
When the federal government lifted the public health emergency in May 2023, people with Medicare or Medicaid insurance and most people with private insurance could still get vaccinated without paying a copayment. People without insurance received free vaccinations through the $1 billion federal Bridge Access Program.
This would close the gap so that all COVID vaccinations would remain free through the end of 2024. In the meantime, the CDC promised to set up a new program to ensure that uninsured adults can continue to receive free COVID vaccinations. It would be modeled after the federal Vaccines for Children program, which funds vaccinations for minors whose families cannot afford them.
But that program has not yet been implemented. And thanks to Congressional budget cuts, funding for the Bridge Access Program is running out ahead of schedule. In the meantime, people with private health insurance may have to pay a co-payment to get the vaccine.
For someone without insurance, the vaccine can cost more than $100. The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment website lists the out-of-pocket cost for a COVID vaccine at $160.
Even if a vaccination is covered by insurance, many health departments charge an administration fee. In Johnson County and the Wyandotte County Health Department, the fee is $20 for COVID or any other vaccine.
More: COVID-19 variant KP.3.1.1 becomes dominant in the US: See latest CDC data
Access to vaccines varies by health authority
Public health officials fear that additional costs and complications will cause many people to forgo vaccination again in the fall, and that could lead to more infections and hospitalizations in a future COVID wave.
The current COVID strains infecting most people this summer – known as FLiRT variants – are related to Omicron, the version of the virus that swept the world in late 2021. The variants are highly contagious and spread rapidly.
What’s more, most people who test positive have mild symptoms. That’s because most people are immune, either from previous infections or from vaccination. But the evolving virus could still become more dangerous again, scientists say, which is why vaccines are so important.
“These vaccines have saved millions of lives around the world, including in the United States,” Schaffner said. “But you’re not protected if the vaccine is in the refrigerator. It has to be in your arm to work.”
In addition to vaccination, public health officials warn that people should get tested if they have symptoms and isolate themselves and take other precautions like wearing a mask to prevent spreading the virus if they get sick. If someone tests positive, a doctor can prescribe an antiviral medication to prevent severe illness.
Free testing remains available at some pharmacies for people without insurance who have been exposed to COVID or are experiencing symptoms. Infected people can also apply for free access to antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid.
This story was first published by the Kansas City Beacon.
