VashonBePrepared: COVID, Flu and RSV vaccine signups now available

Plus, free COVID tests are available again from the federal government.

October 5, 2024 10:30 am
New Pharmacy Space: Vashon Pharmacy owner Tyler Young looks on as Cece Reoux vaccinates Su DeWalt. Young says: “We are very pleased with our new clinical services area. Patients appreciate the space and the privacy of being in a treatment room. It’s a big improvement.” (Courtesy photo)
New Pharmacy Space: Vashon Pharmacy owner Tyler Young looks on as Cece Reoux vaccinates Su DeWalt. Young says: “We are very pleased with our new clinical services area. Patients appreciate the space and the privacy of being in a treatment room. It’s a big improvement.” (Courtesy photo)

It’s time to sign up for your COVID and flu vaccinations, and you can get them right here on Vashon.

Vashon Pharmacy: The pharmacy starts its annual high-volume vax clinics on October 2 in collaboration with VashonBePrepared and the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Appointments are available right now, and you can sign up by going to vashonpharmacy.com/covid-vaccine.

Mobile Integrated Health (MIH): If you need to receive your vaccinations at home, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue will come to your door through the Mobile Integrated Health service. You can make an appointment at timetap.com/book/VIFRMIH, and you can learn all about MIH by visiting vifr.org/mih. You can also email mih@vifr.org or call 206-463-2405.

Sea Mar: The Vashon clinic offers walk-in COVID vaccinations with no appointment required. To check on current availability, visit seamar.org/covid-vaccine.

School days: High-volume COVID and flu vaccine clinics will take place at the schools on two days in October, a collaboration between Vashon Pharmacy, Vashon Island School District, and VashonBePrepared.

• October 15: A clinic at the Vashon High School gym for students 12 and older.

• October 17: A clinic at the McMurray gym for students 5 and older.

Appointments are open to all Vashon school-aged kids. Sign-up information and other details will be provided through the usual school channels and an upcoming edition of this newsletter.

Check with your provider: Check with your regular healthcare provider to get the latest information on their COVID and flu vaccine offerings. For example, all the major networks, such as Kaiser and MultiCare, offer immunizations, as do the mainland chain pharmacies.

COVID Vaccination: Why and When?

Here are answers to some questions we have been getting. Information has been provided by Vashon Medical Reserve Corps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Why should I get the new 2024-2025 version of the vaccine?

The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older receive the updated COVID vaccine. Why? Because the vaccine helps protect against getting COVID. More importantly, it helps prevent severe infections, hospitalization, and death.

The CDC says those who received last year’s COVID vaccine were 54% less likely to get COVID — learn more by visiting tinyurl.com/VaxEffctv. CDC research also shows that vaccination helps prevent long COVID, reducing the risk by about half — learn more by visiting tinyurl.com/LongCVDstudy.

The new vaccine targets more recent variants that can dodge the protection you gained through earlier vaccines or previous infections. Also, natural and vaccine-induced protection fades over time.

Should I get vaccinated right away?

Most people should aim for October or early November to get the new COVID vaccination, especially if they plan to get their flu shot at the same time. That timing optimizes protection as we enter the anticipated winter surge of COVID and the beginning of flu season.

Should I get a flu or RSV vaccination as well as COVID?

The CDC says there’s no problem getting COVID and flu vaccinations simultaneously. Plus, it saves making two visits to your doctor or pharmacy. The RSV vaccine can be given along with COVID and flu vaccines, but Vashon MRC recommends waiting a couple of weeks in order to minimize post-vaccination symptoms.

Regarding the RSV vaccine, the CDC and Vashon Medical Reserve Corps recommend you get it if you are over age 75 or are over 60 and have heart, lung, kidney, or immunological disease. You should get it now if you didn’t get it last year. In clinical trials, the RSV vaccine reduced severe RSV disease by 80% in the first four months after vaccination and reduced symptomatic disease by nearly two-thirds. More information on RSV can be found at tinyurl.com/VaxRSV.

If you received the RSV vaccination last year, the CDC says there’s no need to get another RSV vaccination this year. The protection lasts at least two years.

Which vaccines will be available at the clinics?

Patients who prefer a particular vaccine brand or type may want to contact their provider to find out which vaccines are being provided on the day they will go for vaccination.

If you wish to receive a non-mRNA vaccine, contact Vashon Pharmacy to get on the list and be notified when Novavax is in stock.

What about costs?

At the pharmacy, COVID and flu vaccines will be available at no cost to patients who have insurance. A local program of generous donations, managed by VashonBePrepared, will cover the cost of any co-pay. Local donations will also cover vaccinations for children and adults who are uninsured or under-insured, as long as the funds last. Other providers will have varying support for insurance and it’s best to check ahead with the provider.

Free COVID Tests

The federal government has revived the home COVID test program that gives four home COVID rapid tests for free to each household that requests them. The test ordering website is open now at COVIDtests.gov.

You’ll want to get the tests because the annual winter COVID spike will likely arrive within a month or two. Testing helps prevent spreading the disease to your family and others because you can mask up or isolate as universally recommended by the CDC, Public Health – Seattle & King County, and the Vashon MRC.