The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will launch the Bridge Access Program for COVID-19 vaccines this fall, offering continued access to free COVID-19 vaccinations to uninsured or under-insured adults.
According to the CDC, there are an estimated 25-30 million people without insurance, and many insurance plans won't cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccines until they become available on the commercial market later this fall, the CDC said in a news release.
“CDC is partnering with state and local public health agencies, health centers, and pharmacies to ensure that all adults nationwide maintain access to lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in the release. "Ultimately, we know that vaccines save money and lives. Vaccination is especially important as we head into fall and winter, a time when COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases are likely to circulate.”
The pandemic "highlighted longstanding barriers to adult vaccination, including lack of accessibility, lack of availability and lack of confidence," the release stated. As a result of the new program, adults with inadequate coverage will be able to get free COVID-19 immunizations for a limited time through the Bridge Access Program, which is supervised by the CDC.
The CDC's Immunization Services Division of the CDC was tasked with helping launch the initiative, and state and local immunization programs will also be used to acquire and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC reported. In addition, the CDC is collaborating with some national drug-store chains and vaccine producers to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to uninsured adults at participating retail pharmacies.
The Increasing Community Access to Testing program will be modified to help immunize many Americans. The Bridge Access Program will reimburse pharmacists for the administrative costs associated with administering vaccination doses for the program through existing agreements with participating pharmacies, whose participation in the program is voluntary, release said.
