A team of Globe reporters held a live question and answer session Friday morning to answer reader questions about access to vaccines in Massachusetts amid shifting state and federal policies.
Here’s a look at the questions submitted by readers and how the team answered them.
*Note: Questions have been condensed and edited for clarity.
That’s a wrap! — 11:00 a.m.
From Jenna Reyes
Our reporters are done answering questions for the day. Thank you all for submitting so many great ones and apologies if we didn’t get to your submission. We hope this Q&A was able to provide you with some clarity with so many things changing over the last few weeks and months.
Be sure to continue following our coverage on COVID vaccines and the CDC as we learn more.
I grew up in Massachusetts but now live in the South and vaccine boosters are not available here for those of us under 65. Will I be able to get a booster at a pharmacy or at my doctor’s office in Massachusetts as an out-of-state resident when I return home for the holidays? And even if so, is my insurance (Blue Cross PPO plan) likely to cover this? — 10:56 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
At a Thursday news conference officials said people from out of state would be able to receive COVID shots in Mass. The DPH said pharmacies in Mass. aren’t going to ask for prescriptions. But we haven’t been able to verify if the shots would be covered by insurance.
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A large number of Massachusetts residents are covered by “self insured” health plans regulated by ERISA, [the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act.] not the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Most residents working for a large employer are covered under these “self insured” plans. How will self insured plans be handled in Massachusetts? — 10:52 a.m.
Answered by Kay Lazar
While the Massachusetts Division of Insurance and Department of Public Health announced they will require insurance carriers in the state to continue to cover vaccines that are recommended by the state public health agency, the order does not extend to so-called self-insured plans because those are federally regulated under ERISA and exempt from state requirements. However the Massachusetts Division of Insurance noted in its order that it expects self-insured plans to take actions that are consistent with the new state rules requiring coverage.
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Should I wait to get the COVID vaccine until later in the fall, to increase its efficacy during the winter months? I’m worried that the shot will not be available after the CDC committee meets. — 10:48 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf and Jason Laughlin
Deciding when to get the COVID booster can depend on a number of factors, including when you got your last booster (you should wait at least three months) or whether you’ve recently had a COVID infection. Healey announced that pharmacies will start setting appointments today.
Doctors say both COVID boosters and flu shots ideally should be sought out around October.
Is there any expectation that other New England states will take Massachusetts’ lead, and require their insurance carriers cover the COVID vaccine? — 10:47 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
Connecticut and Rhode Island are on board with crafting a shared vaccination policy with Massachusetts, the governor’s office said yesterday. Mass. health officials have also been in conversations with their counterparts in Vermont and Maine.
Now that the Commonwealth has stepped in to say that pharmacies must make the COVID vaccine available to everyone, regardless of federal guidelines, does that mean they will continue to be free/covered by private insurance companies? — 10:46 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
Yes. The Healey administration this week ordered that all insurers doing business in Massachusetts cover the COVID shots.
How will the new state guidelines affect those on public coverage funded by the federal government, like Medicaid and Medicare? — 10:44 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
Massachusetts insurers, including MassHealth, are now required to cover the COVID booster. Medicare also covers the shot.
A repeated talking point from administration supporters has been that the revised CDC guidance - both for the COVID-19 vaccine and for childhood vaccinations - is consistent with the guidance in Europe and other advanced countries. Is this true? — 10:43 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
It is correct that most European countries do not recommend COVID boosters for healthy younger people. That doesn’t mean they’re unsafe, just that for someone in that population who has already been vaccinated, or who has had COVID, the benefits are marginal. There is a general consensus among American public health officials and medical experts that is correct. Some believe, though, that the shots are so safe, it’s worthwhile to make them available even if the bump they give the immune systems of healthy people with prior immunity isn’t significant. They also argue that restrictions on the shots make it less likely for pharmacies to carry them, making it harder for people who really need them to get the shots. The confusion surrounding access to COVID boosters for seniors being reported right now is evidence that is the case.
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How long should someone wait to get the new vaccine after having just recovered from COVID last week? — 10:41 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
They should wait about three months after their last infection before getting a booster.
Why are there two different Moderna vaccines this year, and how should people decide which one to get? — 10:40 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
One is for kids as young as five, the other only goes as young as 12.
If I already have a vaccine appointment scheduled through a pharmacy, do I also need a prescription to be sent? — 10:40 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
No, you don’t.
I have a 15 month old. Will my child be able to get the COVID vaccine at our pediatrician’s office? — 10:38 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
Yes, they should be able to. Anyone over six months is eligible in Massachusetts.
Will I be able to get a covid shot at CVS without first scheduling a visit to see my PCP? I just had my yearly, preventive checkup in July. I am a 36-year-old man who has never had an adverse reaction to a vaccine. — 10:35 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
Yes, you can. On Wednesday, DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein issued a “standing order” — essentially a prescription for the latest COVID booster for every person over the age of 5 — as a way to circumvent the state’s rule requiring pharmacists to get clearance from the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel before dispensing the immunizations. CVS and other pharmacies are now free to give the shots once they receive the new doses.
Can I get the latest vaccine variant at Walgreens or CVS? A Globe article last week led me to believe I could not get the latest. I am over 65. — 10:34 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
Yes, you can, once those stores receive their shipments of the newest shot. On Wednesday, DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein wrote what is essentially a prescription for every person older than 5 to receive an updated COVID vaccine. This is a work-around for a state law that says pharmacists must have clearance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization, a CDC vaccine panel that isn’t expected to meet for weeks, if it meets at all.
Will doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and all other medical personnel be able to get COVID vaccinations? — 10:32 a.m.
Answered by Kay Lazar
If they live in Massachusetts they can, thanks to an order Massachusetts public health commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein issued authorizing COVID shots for every person in the state over the age of 5, a move that would blunt potential federal restrictions.
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Will pharmacies have this year’s updated COVID and flu vaccines now? Assuming I can find a way to get boosters now, will they be the updated ones? — 10:31 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
Typically, after the FDA approves a new vaccine booster, pharmacies will get rid of the now-outdated doses while they wait for the latest shots. It can take some time for the pharmacies to receive the new COVID vaccines, but that gap should only last a couple of weeks. You can also confirm with your pharmacist what version of the shot they’re offering.
With Governor Healey’s announcement that she’s authorizing all pharmacies to make vaccines available to any resident, does this mean our insurance providers are required to cover the immunizations? — 10:28 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
On Thursday afternoon, the Massachusetts Division of Insurance and Department of Public Health announced they will require insurance carriers in the state to continue to cover vaccines that are recommended by the state public health agency, regardless of CDC guidance. That includes both shots that protect against respiratory viruses, like the flu, RSV and COVID, and routine childhood vaccinations, including measles, chickenpox and Hepatitis B.
Why’s that law exist to begin with that pharmacists can only give the COVID vaccine if approved by a federal panel? Why is that the case in so few states? Is the state going to fight this? When could this possibly change? — 10:27 a.m.
Answered by Kay Lazar
Massachusetts and at least a dozen other states have historically relied on the CDC’s independent advisory board, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), to vote each year on its recommendations for child and adult vaccinations, before allowing pharmacists to administer shots. The panel, composed of vaccine experts, has long been considered the gold standard for safety and efficacy. But a more than century-old legal precedent gives states wide latitude in setting their own course. Massachusetts health commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein recently ordered COVID vaccines be available to everyone 5 and older, circumventing federal restrictions from the Trump administration, and setting aside the state’s law that required ACIP recommendations. Massachusetts officials announced that pharmacies would begin taking appointments for COVID shots today.
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How do we get out of this fiasco? Can Mass. public health overcome all of this? Can we create something like Calif. is attempting to do with nearby states to pick up where the CDC has been gutted? — 10:25 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
Massachusetts, along with most of the other New England states and New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, are in the process of doing just that. Though they haven’t made an official announcement like the western states, they have been discussing a public health collaborative throughout this year. The states expect to coordinate vaccine recommendations based on guidance from respected national medical societies, rather than the CDC. The goal is to ensure residents are getting science-based, credible information about vaccine safety and efficacy. It’s an imperfect solution, though. The CDC has access to information that’s simply not available to medical societies that provides deeper information about vaccines under consideration, and the agency also had deep expertise and the resources to focus work groups on specific populations to better understand how vaccinations might affect them.
Has an updated COVID vaccine been made for this fall/winter? If so, who was involved in its development and approval? How will we know it’s safe? — 10:24 a.m.
Answered by Kay Lazar
Yes, an updated vaccine has been made. The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which evaluates data on vaccine safety and effectiveness in May recommended that vaccine manufacturers focus on the LP.8.1. strain, which was the predominant strain circulating at that time. The CDC’s latest data show LP.8.1. is still one of the top strains in circulation, but is by no means the most prevalent one now. The FDA typically monitors the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and updated versions of the shots, as well as the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID.
Will Medicare pay for my COVID shot and if not can I pay out of pocket? — 10:23 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
Yes. Medicare Part B covers the latest booster. You can also pay out-of-pocket, although it’s pricey. CVS charges $225 for the shot without any insurance coverage.
We’ve already seen drastic differences in public health policy between states during the pandemic. Are we headed towards these differences becoming further entrenched? — 10:22 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
Unfortunately, yes.
Are the vaccines focused on current strains? — 10:18 a.m.
Answered by Kay Lazar
Yes, in part. The FDA in May recommended that vaccine manufacturers focus on the LP.8.1. strain, which was the predominant strain circulating at that time. The CDC’s latest data show LP.8.1. is still one of the top strains in circulation, but is by no means the most prevalent one now. The most widely circulating strain now is XFG, a cousin of the LP.8.1. strain, and preclinical data from at least two of the manufacturers, including from Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax suggest that this year’s shot will offer some immunity against XFG.
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Are people still getting COVID shots? What do the numbers look like now compared to when the pandemic started? — 10:18 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
The numbers have dropped dramatically. By the end of Aug 2021 73.5 percent of those 21 and over had been fully vaccinated for COVID in Massachusetts, state data show. Uptake of boosters was also high with 58 of those previously vaccinated receiving a booster dose as of June 2022. Since then, somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of residents have received the boosters each year.
Can people cross state lines and get the vaccination in Walgreens, CVS, etc.? If so, which states can they go to? — 10:16 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
People can cross state lines to get vaccinated at pharmacies if they so choose. However, Massachusetts residents can now get the shots at CVS and other pharmacy chains after the state’s governor issued a prescription for the newest vaccine for every person over the age of 5; it’s a move that gets around a state law that requires pharmacists to get clearance from the CDC’s vaccine panel before giving the shots. There is no reason why someone from out of state could not get vaccinated in Massachusetts, but whether their insurance will cover it is another story.
I wonder if they are willing to administer COVID-19 vaccines to people from out of state. — 10:14 a.m.
Answered by Kay Lazar
Yes, people traveling from out of state to Massachusetts can get vaccinated, but it’s an open question whether their insurance plans will cover shots administered out of the person’s home state.
I’m a healthcare provider and I would like to get a booster. Are there any recommendations for us? — 10:13 a.m
Answered by Marin Wolf
Anyone over the age of five can now get the new COVID booster in Massachusetts because of the standing order issued this week by the DPH commissioner.
What about my children and grandchildren? I’m well over 65 and recently had a COVID booster. But they don’t meet the new requirements. — 10:11 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
In Massachusetts, they should also be able to get the vaccines at pharmacies or at a doctor’s office. The standing order the state issued this week essentially gives everyone over the age of 5 a prescription for a COVID booster.
What will be New Hampshire’s approach to COVID-19 vaccine access to residents be? — 10:09 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
Most of New England and some nearby states are discussing the formation of a public health consortium that would recommend vaccinations based on the opinions of national medical societies instead of the CDC. New Hampshire, however, is not a part of that collaboration. Pharmacists in New Hampshire are not required to get clearance from the CDC’s vaccine panel in order to give certain shots, however, so the new COVID vaccine should be available at major pharmacy retailers like CVS.
I think it would be helpful to understand how insurance companies decide what vaccines to cover, in the face of divergent state and federal policies. — 10:07 a.m.
Answered by Kay Lazar
In general, insurers look to recommendations from the CDC and its expert advisory panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. But given this year’s upheaval in the decades-long tradition, the Division of Insurance and the Department of Public Health announced this week that they will require insurers doing business in Massachusetts to cover any vaccinations recommended by DPH and not solely those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I am 70 so will probably have access due to my age, but what about insurance coverage (Medicare and/or private company)? — 10:05 a.m.
Answered by Jason Laughlin
Seniors should not have trouble getting insurance to cover COVID boosters. The FDA did approve these shots for people 65 and older, so unless the CDC decides on far more restrictions when its advisory committee meets Sept. 18, insurers will cover the cost of the shots.
What is the reason Mass. residents can’t get the COVID vaccine at pharmacies and is there an effort to fix the problem? — 10:03 a.m.
Answered by Kay Lazar
Massachusetts law has historically required that pharmacists only administer vaccines recommended by the CDC’s advisory board, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Massachusetts has been one of more than a dozen states that relied on ACIP recommendations, which have been considered a national standard for safety and effectiveness, developed by experts. But federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr fired all 17 members of the independent panel and replaced some of them with members who share his anti-vaccine views or vaccine skepticism, and that’s caused widespread concern by health leaders that the panel may further tighten public access to vaccines when it meets Sept. 18. Pharmacies were constrained, under Massachusetts law, from administering the shots until the panel met and officially adopted recommendations for this season. But Massachusetts public health commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein has stepped in and ordered that COVID vaccines be made available, without the ACIP recommendations.
I’m an adult in Massachusetts. How do you suggest I go about getting a COVID vaccine? — 10:00 a.m.
Answered by Marin Wolf
There are a couple different ways you can get a COVID vaccine in Massachusetts. As of Wednesday, pharmacists in the state can give updated COVID shots without the permission of a CDC vaccine panel called the Advisory Committee on Immunization. This means that major pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS can start giving the new doses once they receive their shipments. You can also talk to your doctor about whether their office is offering the shot.
While the vaccine is now available to everyone over the age of 5 in Massachusetts, some experts consider the booster to be “low risk, low reward” for younger, healthy adults. The severity of illness caused by COVID-19 has diminished significantly since the height of the pandemic, and adults without compromised immune systems are at low risk for complications.
Kay Lazar can be reached at [email protected] Follow her @GlobeKayLazar. Marin Wolf can be reached at [email protected]. Jason Laughlin can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @jasmlaughlin. Jenna Reyes can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @jennaelaney and Instagram @jennaelaney.