September 14, 2023- COVID-19 vaccines are now available directly from manufacturers, rather than from the U.S. government. However, there will be little impact for most people receiving the vaccine as they will still likely receive a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost: 

• People with private or employer-based health insurance coverage will likely receive COVID-19 vaccination at no cost since it will be covered as a preventive service.  
• Medicare Part B will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccinations at no cost to the patient.  
• Medicaid will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccinations through September 30, 2024. 
• Uninsured children will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the existing Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. This initiative provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of their inability to pay.
• Uninsured and underinsured adults will have access to free COVID-19 vaccines through the Virginia Vaccines for Adults program which is funded by CDC’s Bridge Access Program through December 2024.  

Healthcare providers who want to provide COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals should visit the Virginia Vaccines for Adults Bridge and Virginia Vaccines for Children programs to enroll.  For more information on commercialization, please review the VDH COVID-19 Vaccine Commercialization FAQ or submit your inquiry at the VDH Immunization webpage.

September 14, 2023- On September 11, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and authorized the use of updated COVID-19 mRNA vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. These are monovalent vaccines that target the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant. On September 12, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted that everyone aged 6 months or older should receive an updated 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine and CDC endorsed these recommendations. People previously vaccinated for COVID-19 can receive the vaccine at least 2 months after their last dose, and providers can check the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS) to confirm a patient’s vaccine history. Additional guidance is available in CDC’s Interim Clinical Considerations. 

August 21, 2023 – A comprehensive review of records from more than 2 million COVID-19 infected patients in Singapore indicates that a booster dose with the recently updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine was markedly better (vaccine effectiveness (VE) 86%) than another dose of the earlier (monovalent) vaccine (VE: 0) at preventing health system visits by patients.

VE against COVID-19-related hospital admissions from the bivalent vaccine was 88% vs. 16% in those boosted with the older vaccine. Although a new monovalent COVID-19 vaccine is about to replace the current bivalent vaccine used in this study, these results still indicate that a vaccine with a better antigen match against currently circulating SARS-COV-2 variants is likely to provide better protection.