The new vaccines will be available at local Walgreens stores starting Monday for patients ages 12 and up. Younger people can get vaccination appointments there starting Sept. 29.
Patients can also sign up for appointments to get the boosters at CVS pharmacies in Louisville and Southern Indiana.
Louisville saw a modest spike in COVID-19 cases late this summer.
The Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville recorded increased levels of the virus in local wastewater last month. Those levels weren’t as high as they were in early 2023, though.
Getting vaccinated makes it less likely someone will be hospitalized for or die from COVID-19. Research suggests it also can reduce a person’s risk of developing long COVID symptoms if they do get infected.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the new COVID-19 vaccines for anyone who’s at least six months old, including people who were previously vaccinated.
People also can seek advice from their primary care provider about the updated boosters, which are made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. They might be able to get vaccinated while visiting their doctor, too.
Some Baptist Health Medical Group offices will offer the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to a spokesperson. Patients can check directly with their medical provider’s office to see if it’s available there.
The soonest that Norton Healthcare expects to acquire the new boosters is early October, a spokesperson said.
Health insurers are expected to cover the cost of the new vaccines, as long as patients go to an in-network provider.
Meanwhile, federal programs are slated to provide free access to the latest boosters for people who do not have health insurance.
More information is available online at vaccines.gov.
