Valerie Brickey visited three pharmacies and her regular pediatrician in late September to find a COVID-19 vaccine for her 16-year-old granddaughter Ryleigh.
Bricky and her granddaughter, who live together in a small apartment near Durham, North Carolina, both suffer from health problems that make them more vulnerable to severe COVID symptoms.
Brickey was keeping an eye on COVID-19 levels in wastewater and knew both were at risk as numbers increased in the area.
But efforts to find an updated vaccine for Ryleigh have been fruitless.
Like millions of children in the United States covered by Medicaid, Ryleigh is eligible for free vaccines through the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. In general, it was so seamless to use that Brickey didn’t even realize he was reaping the benefits. When she got Ryleigh’s seasonal vaccines at her pediatrician’s office, there was no charge.
However, no COVID-19 vaccine has been made available through the Vaccines for Children program this year. The doctor told Brickey he had no plans to carry the COVID vaccine, which could be tricky to store.
A local pharmacy said Ryleigh would have to pay $368 for the shot to get it.
“If I could afford $368, she wouldn’t sign up for Medicaid,” Brickey said. “hello?”
In North Carolina and other states, low-income families who typically get free COVID-19 vaccines for their children have been told they cannot get vaccinated because the state cannot order COVID-19 vaccines through the VFC program.
They had to wait until the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommended this year’s Covid vaccine for the VFC program, which was finally announced on Monday.
These recommendations state that anyone aged six months or older can get the Covid vaccine after discussing the risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare provider, including a doctor, nurse and pharmacist. This is a provision known as shared decision-making.
The multi-step process for making such recommendations was halted this year when U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suddenly fired all 17 members of the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory panel. In June, he switched to the vaccine of his choice, some of whom said the mRNA Covid vaccine was dangerous and should be taken off the market.
The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), was supposed to vote on Covid-19 vaccine recommendations at its June meeting, but the vote was held in mid-September to give new members time to get up to speed.
Kennedy’s high-profile resignation from the CDC last August over his vaccine policy and the firing of newly appointed CDC director Dr. Susan Monares have added to uncertainty about when or if the VFC shot will be available.
As a result, the state was only told this week that it could finally order Covid vaccines for children through the Vaccines for Children program.
Last year, the CDC recommended a Covid vaccine for the 2024-25 respiratory virus season and VFC through June.
“Children with VFCs have not received updated vaccines for weeks while waiting for signatures,” Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who recently resigned as director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, wrote Monday. post on social media. “That means kids with private insurance had access, but kids without or underinsured didn’t have access. This is your new CDC.”
Ryleigh suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a neurological disorder that causes seizures and a condition that affects the body’s ability to regulate blood pressure, causing dizziness, headaches, nausea and racing heartbeat.
“She’s on heart medication and she doesn’t have to put any more stressors on her body when she’s dealing with POTS,” Brickey said of why she’s eager to get her granddaughter the COVID-19 vaccine. “She already misses school a lot. I don’t want to add anything more to this child. She has enough.”
There’s another reason Brickey wants to find a vaccine for Ryleigh. She is Ryleigh’s primary caregiver and suffers from diabetes, which may make her more vulnerable to serious illness. Her granddaughter could bring the virus home from school and she worries what will happen to Ryleigh if Bricky brings it home. sick.
Two years ago, Brickie was hospitalized for a month due to severe sepsis.
“My system never fully recovered,” she said. “I had to relearn how to walk and everything.”
Brickey said his age and pre-existing conditions have not been a problem for him to get the vaccine, but he knows that getting the vaccine doesn’t make either of them perfect. Both need to be protected.
Ryleigh’s health care is covered through North Carolina’s Medicaid program. The VFC program serves uninsured and underinsured children as well as children on Medicaid. In 2023, the most recent data available, VFC delivered 74 million vaccines to participating health care providers.
It’s impossible to know how many children will be denied the Covid vaccine this fall while waiting for action from the CDC.
Daskalakis said the delay in recommending vaccinations for adults meant the United States had missed “more than 35 million co-administration opportunities” of flu and Covid shots.
Ryleigh’s immunization records reviewed by CNN show she received her flu vaccine on Sept. 28 at a local Walgreens. But Brickey said she was told there was no Covid vaccine available unless she wanted to pay out of pocket.
Brickey called Ryleigh’s pediatrician. On Monday I was again told by the office that I could not order vaccines from the VFC program.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a written statement Wednesday that it is working to address access issues since the CDC approved its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Most people said they should be able to get it without paying for it.
“NC Medicaid and most private insurers will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccines at little or no cost. Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program providers may experience delays in COVID-19 vaccinations this year as they have had to wait for CDC approval before ordering supplies,” the statement said.
Several other state health departments contacted by CNN, including South Carolina, Hawaii and Utah, said they have begun the process of notifying VFC providers that they can now order Covid vaccines for children. They said it will take about two weeks for the shots to arrive at your doctor’s office or pharmacy after your order is placed.
The National Association of Immunization Managers, which oversees state immunization programs, shared similar information.
“The CDC agreement has gone into effect and states can now order COVID vaccines from Pediatrics for their Children’s Vaccine Program,” Dr. Michelle Fiscus, a pediatrician and the group’s chief medical officer, said Monday. “If you place an order today, we expect the vaccine to be available by the end of this week.”
COVID-19 vaccines may soon be available to low-income children, but they may still be difficult to find due to confusion and delays behind this year’s rollout.
“Not every location may have every vaccine recommended for you or your child, especially with the current COVID-19 vaccines,” Charla Hayley, director of communications for the Utah Department of Health, said in an email. “You can find a vaccine provider near you. vaccinefinder.org. “Call before you go to find out if the vaccine you want is available and how much it will cost.”
Kentucky officials said they are working hard to get the VFC shot to providers.
“We encourage everyone to talk to their health care provider and consider getting an updated COVID-19 vaccination this fall to protect themselves and their families, especially those under age 2, those over 65, and those with conditions that put them at increased risk for serious infection, including those who are pregnant,” Kendra Steele, executive director of public affairs for the Kentucky Health and Family Services Cabinet, said in an email. “We encourage this to help protect people,” he said.
Ryleigh and her grandmother are still anxiously awaiting the vaccine.
“You’re doing what you’re supposed to do in this life, and we’re trying to do that by taking every precaution we can to make sure things don’t get any worse,” Brickey said.
