For people waiting for months during the FLiRT variant COVID surge to get an updated booster, the wait may be over. Both Moderna and Pfizer have received authorization for vaccine formulations that target omicron variant KP.2, and appointments can be booked at CVS today. Walgreens will also accept bookings, but they won't start administering the shots until September 6th.
Uninsured adults will no longer get COVID boosters for free as the CDC’s Bridge Access Program winds down this month, and will not cover the new booster even before it ends. Uninsured children can still get free shots through Vaccines for Children, and senior citizens have access to covered vaccines through Medicare. But in states without Medicaid expansion, like Texas, uninsured adults will either have to pay out of pocket or find a Federally Qualified Health Center in their area. Federally Qualified Health Centers in San Antonio include CentroMed, CommuniCare, and University Health System’s CareLink.
COVID cases surged nationwide over the summer, and higher case numbers in San Antonio remained fairly steady as kids went back to school in August. For the week ending August 24, University Health System recorded 376 positive samples. That was up a bit from the week before but down about 100 cases from the week before that. New positive tests have been lingering right around 400 per week since late July.
The KP variants — versions of KP.1, KP.2, and KP.3 — which jumped to dominance in May, were behind the nationwide and local increases in cases. They are subvariants of the previous dominant COVID strain, JN.1. The spike in cases came at a time when immunity from the previous booster may have been starting to wane.
Also, the previous shots targeted XBB, an omicron subvariant not in the same lineage as JN.1. That likely reduced its ability to protect against the new variants. So, many chose to wait for this KP.2 booster formulation as cases increased throughout the summer, hoping it might be effective against these strains.
The current dominant strain is KP.3.1.1, a close relative of KP.2.
Along with the updated booster, the Biden Administration has announced it will resume its free at-home COVID testing program. Starting in late September, people can order four free at-home COVID tests per address. More than 900 million tests have been distributed to American households through the free testing program since 2021.
