The US and CDC has taken a giant leap forward in ensuring all individuals have access to the 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine by launching the Bridge Access Program. The Bridge Access Program offers a lifeline to adults without health insurance and those whose insurance doesn't cover the total cost of COVID-19 vaccines.
As autumn approaches, the need to stay vigilant against respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) remains critical. Fortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have recently approved new vaccines to safeguard the U.S. population from these potentially deadly viral illnesses.
As with other diseases, you can improve your resistance to COVID-19 when you stay up to date with the recommended vaccines and boosters. Boosters can help restore protection that has diminished since a previous vaccination.
Our risk of illness due to Covid-19 continues. Healthcare professionals are working to limit the spread of the virus to the point that it will become a simple matter of routine prevention. Vaccines and updated boosters are one method of reducing our own risk of illness, which in turn will hopefully reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
As of April 14, 2022, an Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) news release reports that COVID-19 case rates are slowly rising in many areas of the state. IDPH encourages all Illinoisans to pay close attention to conditions in their local communities and stay up to date on their vaccination status.
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is announcing two new COVID-19 oral antivirals, Paxlovid (Pfizer) and Molnupiravir (Merck), will be available in Illinois later this month. The antivirals are for those with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk for becoming severely ill, including hospitalization or death.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is adopting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation for those aged 12-15 years to get a booster dose five months after receiving the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Today, CDC is updating our recommendation for when many people can receive a booster shot, shortening the interval from 6 months to 5 months for people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. This means that people can now receive an mRNA booster shot 5 months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. The booster interval recommendation for people who received the J&J vaccine (2 months) or the Moderna vaccine (6 months), has not changed.
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