Anyone without health insurance can get a free COVID-19 shot through state and federal programs, the Ohio Department of Health said in a recent news release.
The vaccines are available to eligible children, including those who are uninsured, through the federal Vaccines for Children program.
Vaccines for uninsured adults are available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Bridge Access Program, which will be active through 2024, according to the program website.
As part of the Bridge Access Program, the CDC has contracted with CVS, Walgreens, and eTrue North pharmacies to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations. Visit vaccines.gov to find providers participating in this program.
For people with insurance, the vaccine is expected to be widely available.
“If you have medical insurance, and that includes Medicare or Medicaid, vaccines should be covered as a preventive health service, which means you likely will have no out-of-pocket costs,” Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said in the news release.
Dr. Dave Margolius, director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health, told Signal Cleveland that community health programs and clinics are expected to have the updated vaccine in the coming weeks.
