Shifting federal guidelines in recent months have left people confused about whether they can get the COVID-19 vaccine. But Waco healthcare providers say the vaccine is easy to get as cough-and-cold season approaches.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated fall vaccine recommendations which include the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC adopted individual based decision making for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC’s recommendations are nearly the same as last year’s, clearing its use for people 6 months and older, but adding guidance that those getting vaccinated make “shared decisions” with health care providers, ranging from pharmacists to doctors.
The new recommendation ensures continued coverage through insurance and federal programs such as Medicaid, according to the CDC.
Here is what to know about COVID-19 and flu shots, eligibility and respiratory virus season:
Do you need a prescription to get a COVID-19 vaccine?
No. You can go to multiple pharmacies and walk in to receive the vaccine. A staff member at the independently owned Lynn’s La Vega Pharmacy in Bellmead that shots are available to anyone who walks in. Walgreens and CVS are also offering the vaccine.
Where can you get low-cost vaccinations?
Entitlement programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program cover vaccinations including COVID-19.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District and Waco Family Medicine clinics provide reduced-rate vaccinations for uninsured adults with the help of state and federal funding.
The health district offers vaccines Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the second floor of its headquarters at 225 W. Waco Drive.
“The vaccines are not free, but we want to make sure that everyone is able to receive the vaccine that they need,” said Clare Paul, health district spokesperson. “And so we have programs – some are state-funded – and if they qualify for those, then they could get the vaccine at a reduced cost.”
What to consider ahead of time?
As the temperatures begin to cool, people are inside more often. This means respiratory illness such as the flu, COVID-19 and and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) spread more easily. Shots are available for all three.
Paul said getting the flu vaccine earlier rather than later is recommended.
“This is absolutely the time,” Paul said. “Get it now … because it’ll start spiking in December, January, February. … So get it now before it really starts.”
Dr. Tim Martindale, a longtime Waco family medicine physician, considers three factors in advising patients about the COVID-19 vaccine: risk factors, past experiences with COVID-19 vaccine and their environment. He considers whether people are around small children, work with vulnerable populations or live in a facility such as a nursing home.
“It’s a case-by-case decision for each patient,” Martindale said.
For people concerned about long COVID, Martindale recommends the vaccine.
“Nearly 30% of people can get different kinds of long COVID symptoms, that might be anything from (losing) the hearing and taste and smell, or it could have to do with mood changes or concentration focus changes,” Martindale said. “It could have to do with joint pain that people have, and there’s a number of things that people get that last anywhere from a few months to several months with long COVID.”
However, he notes that newer COVID strains are milder than past strains and with more medication options – such as Paxlovid – people can opt to decide not to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Those are medicines that, in many cases, knock COVID out pretty quickly,” he said. “And so having that resource makes you maybe a little less fearful of getting COVID than if you had no other backups or help to get you out of a bad place.”
Where to look up information regarding vaccines?
Due to changes at the CDC and Health and Human Services, there may be confusion on who to trust about vaccines. Martindale recommends looking at American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
How are cases in the Waco area?
Waco has seen an increase in flu and influenza-like illnesses but levels remain low compared the usual peak of flu season. Influenza-like illness cases increased from 60 to 146 during the week of Oct. 11 to Oct. 18, according to the Waco McLennan Public Health District flu dashboard.
How to avoid getting sick?
Stay home if you are sick. If you are out in public, cover up when you sneeze or cough.
“I think there’s a little bit more of the responsibility of the person who’s ill,” Martindale said. “If you have symptoms of infection, let people know if they want to hug you.”
