Covid -- Additional Booster?

That’s great. How did you know it is new booster? CVS website does not say - maybe that is all they are doing now?

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The CVS tech said it was the new one and that they got it in this week and that he was surprised they got it in so quickly.

So I guess I’m trusting him that it is in fact the newest one that he gave me! :nerd_face:

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On the CVS scheduling app, it now will say Covid Moderna or Pfizer 2023-2024 (or something very similar, can’t remember exactly). We are sticking with Moderna because all the earlier ones were Moderna and we did okay with that. Probably doesn’t matter though. We are getting Covid and flu shots in the morning.

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I don’t think they are dispensing the older one anymore.

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The emergency use authorization for the Fall 2022 bivalent booster has been revoked as of 11 September and may no longer be administered, e.g.:

Ahead of New COVID Vaccines for Fall, 2022 Bivalent Shot No Longer Available at LVPG.

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LA County has a weekly press release with information about COVID numbers. This week’s press release included the following.

The updated COVID-19 vaccines will likely be widely available in Los Angeles County by the middle of next week, with some retail sites having doses as early as this weekend. Pharmacies and health care providers will receive orders directly from the manufacturers and provide information to their patients and customers about availability. Health insurance plans are expected to cover the full cost.

Any resident who is seeking vaccination will be able to do so regardless of insurance or immigration status.

Free vaccines will be available to uninsured and underinsured children and adults at many participating retail pharmacies, health care providers and health centers through a federal program called the CDC Bridge Access Program. Public Health is finalizing distribution plans for its public health clinics and mobile teams pending arrival of the vaccines. The department will focus on making sure the county’s most vulnerable populations, including elderly and disabled people, have easy access to the new vaccines.

For children who are uninsured or have Medi-CAL, they can receive the newly updated COVID vaccine for free through the Vaccine for Children program. A list of these providers can also be found at ■■■■■■/VaccineForChildrenSites

To find vaccine locations, visit ph.lacounty.gov/vaccines. Anyone who has questions, needs assistance with appointments, or are homebound and need to be vaccinated should contact the Public Health Call Center, which is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The number is 1-833-540-0473.

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FDA Takes Action on Updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines to Better Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants | FDA (announcing the approval and emergency use authorization of the XBB.1.5 (2023) versions of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines) says that “the bivalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States.”

In other words, vaccine providers should only be using the XBB.1.5 (2023) versions of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, not the BA.5+ancestral (2022) versions of those vaccines.

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Just got appointments for both myself and husband for next Friday. Thursday was the earliest within 20 miles.

DH and I made appointments at CVS for tomorrow (Sat) to supposedly get the new shot. But then we got a text message saying 'URGENT - The updated COVID vaccine is not yet available and your appt must be reschedulted." We rescheduled for Wednesday the 27th. Our confirmation message says it will be for “COVID-19 2023-2024 (Moderna).” We heard from our D’s fiance that his mom in OH got the same cancellation message (we’re in AZ).

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Sorry to hear that. I haven’t gotten a cancellation yet for tomorrow but I’ll check messages just in case. Was your cancelled appointment tomorrow for Pfizer or Moderna?

My H also has one for tomorrow ( HS teacher so really wants protection as soon as possible). I’ll remind him to check for emails AND check he is getting the new one (though I see here they shouldn’t be giving the old one now.)

The cancelled one was for Pfizer. I don’t think I picked one or the other and just took what was available. And for my rescheduled appointment it’s Moderna.

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Any recommendation on which to request if both are available?

See reply 243 and the page linked from reply 278 for the (minor) considerations for choosing between different brands of COVID-19 vaccines.

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Ugh! H just went to CVS for his vaccine appointment. We have Aetna insurance, and Benecard for pharmacy, and both turned down paying it. Very confused, but of course it’s Saturday and getting zero help from either company. Anyone else run into anything like this?

Edit: pharmacy suggested they may just not have it set up for paying yet, but not sure if that was just a guess.

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S had trouble getting his flu shot at cvs 3 years ago. He has BCBS, so he just used our insurance. I keep him on our family plan because it’s the same while younger S is on it. And cvs is where we’ve gone for years. But I think it has something to do with cvs using/participating under the pharmacy portion of the plan and not the health care portion?

In any case, he’ll have to figure out where he can go soon, because he’s getting booted off the insurance January 1 since younger S is now independent.

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So, we showed up at CVS this morning, scheduled for both Covid Moderna and flu shot. Covid shot not in and we got no notice in advance! Decided to go ahead and get the flu shot but now have to find an appointment for Covid shot!

Hmmm… our BCBS is the reverse. I have to use the minute clinic for vaccines as the pharmacy is subject to our RX plan, which is underwhelming.

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And this is a pi$$er- The CVS pharmacies have the boosters available, but the Minute clinics do not!! Grrr. Am hoping that maybe they will get the clinics will get them in this week, as we have our flu shots scheduled for next Friday. If the clinic has the booster by then, am hoping we can get both.

Just got my shot at CVS. Pfizer because that’s what they had. I’d slightly prefer Moderna but wanted to get it asap since we’re traveling to Europe in a few weeks. They ran my insurance when I booked the appointment and it came back as not covered. From my research, at least in CA, it still should be free. Wasn’t an issue when I went in today, don’t know if insurance ended up paying, but I didn’t pay anything. I was in and out in less than five minutes.

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