It’s finally fall, and with that also comes respiratory viruses.
Dr. Michelle Morse, acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, recently discussed the flu and COVID-19 vaccines with All Things Considered host Sean Carlson.
Her guidance in a nutshell: “It’s time to get your COVID flu and RSV vaccine if you’re eligible.”
Here is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation:
Sean Carlson: Who should get the COVID and flu vaccines right now?
Dr. Michelle Morse: It is a source of confusion and I am here to try to make it plain for New Yorkers and your listeners. First and foremost, for anyone who’s 6 months old and above, there are zero safety concerns about the COVID vaccine. We are recommending that everyone 6 months and above get an updated COVID shot this fall to protect them as much as possible for the upcoming respiratory viral season.
There are a few groups that we are really strongly encouraging to get vaccinated: People who are above the age of 65 and anyone who is pregnant or considering being pregnant. And we’re also encouraging our babies, the age group of 6 months to 24 months. Those groups in particular will benefit tremendously.
The Centers for Disease Control’s Vaccine Advisory Board is recommending that people consult with their doctor before getting a coronavirus shot. That is a shift from previous federal policy that made vaccines widely available to almost all Americans older than 6 months for free and without question. What does it mean to consult with a clinician?
Unless you have a special or unique medical situation that requires you to have further consultation with your physician, there is no need for consultation. For the COVID vaccine, specifically, I want to underline again that there has been no new data presented about any safety concerns about the COVID vaccine. Again, my recommendation and the city’s recommendation, in partnership with New York State health commissioner, is that those 6 months and over should go ahead and get that vaccine.
I do worry that the very confusing messaging that is coming from our vaccination advisory council at the CDC, as well as the current U.S. health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are going to make people confused and concerned. We are in a position to say very, very clearly that it is recommended that New Yorkers 6 months old and above get the updated COVID vaccine.
How can New Yorkers get the vaccine at a pharmacy? Do they need to get a prescription for it?
Luckily, because of action by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the executive order that she signed a couple of weeks ago, New Yorkers do not need a prescription. In fact, the New York City Health Department just relaunched our New York City health map — nyc.gov/health — with updated information about where you can get the COVID vaccine. It lists not only geographically lists any specific community you’re in, it also lists by insurance. We also list a number of places where you can go if you do not have insurance or you can’t afford to pay for a vaccine, a COVID vaccine.
Now, this summer it seemed like a lot of people were getting sick with COVID, and according to the City Health Department COVID data, there was a steady increase of known COVID cases in August. So, if someone recently had COVID, do they still need to get a vaccine?
In recent weeks we did see a slight uptick in both emergency room visits and hospitalizations for COVID, and we still see that uptick actually for people who are very young and for people over the age of 65. So, COVID is definitely out there and circulating. The evidence suggests that if you just had COVID, it is generally recommended that you wait around three months, at least, after your episode of COVID to get the vaccine. But really you are eligible to get the vaccine really anytime after you’re no longer feeling ill.
And if you have more questions about that, you can certainly also talk to your primary care doctor about what the ideal timing is for you.
What about insurance? Does that cover the vaccine?
We are also very excited to be able to say that all of the insurers across New York City and New York State have agreed to make sure that the COVID vaccine is covered by health insurance. That is incredibly important because no one should have to pay for vaccines. Vaccines are safe and effective. They benefit you and your community and your family. And in many cases they are lifesaving, as we learned very clearly during the height of the emergency phase of the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately last flu season was also one of our worst flu seasons in recent history.
RSV is also circulating. So we want there to be as few barriers as possible to people getting their respiratory viral vaccines. We do have those guarantees from insurers that those vaccines will be covered. It is right about the perfect time for everyone listening to go ahead and get out there and get your COVID flu and RSV vaccine if you’re eligible for RSV.
What if somebody doesn’t have insurance? What recourse do they have?
At the City Health Department, part of what we do is, we ensure that no matter if you can pay, no matter where you live, no matter your documentation status, no matter any of those things, we want to make sure that you have access to lifesaving vaccines and healthcare. The NYC Health map lists several places here you can get these vaccines for respiratory viral season, even if you do not health insurance and are unable to pay out of pocket.
We’ve talked about the guidance from the federal government and how some people might be confused about new recommendations as it relates to vaccines. As a local city health official, how do you take what’s being said from the federal government and then shape vaccine policy here in New York City?
This is one of our greatest challenges right now. Under normal circumstances, the federal government and the CDC are our partners in really making sure that accurate information is out there in the public. That is not the case right now, and that is incredibly challenging for us. So part of what we do and, and what we will continue to do, no matter what happens at the federal level, is push out information through our social media channels, through talking on the radio with folks like you, Sean, through videos and, and all kinds of different communication approaches to make sure that the message is clear.
Again, respiratory viral season is here. It’s time to get your COVID flu and RSV vaccine if you’re eligible. They are safe and effective. That has not changed. And we will do our very best to make sure that those vaccines are free and accessible for everyone who’s ready to get them, especially for the groups that are at highest risk.
That’s New York City Health Commissioner, Dr. Michelle Morse. Commissioner, as always, thanks for joining us.
Thanks for having me, Sean.
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