Biden's fall Covid vaccine rollout for the uninsured won't include pharmacies at first

Key Facts

• | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The Biden administration’s effort to provide free Covid-19 vaccines to the uninsured will not start at retail pharmacies until mid-October, weeks after the government plans to make an updated version of the shot available to the broader public.
• The gap in timing, which comes as Covid hospitalizations have ticked up in recent weeks, means that millions of Americans without health coverage will not be able to immediately get a no-cost vaccine at popular places like CVS and Walgreens, even as it will be widely available for those who have insurance.
• In April, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a $1.1 billion “bridge” program that it promised would offer people without health insurance continued access to free Covid vaccines and treatments at least through the end of 2024.
• The FDA can still grant Covid-19 emergency use authorizations for Covid vaccines under a separate emergency declaration, and at least one major vaccine manufacturer appears ready to distribute its updated shot as soon as September if it gets the blessing of the FDA and CDC.

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