Uninsured adults will lose an option this August to get vaccinated against COVID for free, weeks before an updated vaccine is expected to be released going into respiratory virus season.
Launched in 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bridge Access Program began as a way to connect U.S. adults with little to no health insurance to COVID vaccines. It was set into motion just as those vaccines shifted from federal administrators to commercial markets, which complicated access for many who had previously enjoyed more freedom over where they received their dose.
Rather than anyone being able to get a free shot wherever they could get an appointment, people with health coverage can seek out COVID vaccines at sites approved by their insurance plans – or pay out of pocket.