By Carolyn Bick
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Despite being available for several months, the new COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the state’s Asian American and Pacific Islander population remains low compared to the group’s uptake during the pandemic, following the trends seen across all racial and ethnic groups, according to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).
Overall, the DOH told the Northwest Asian Weekly, fewer than 17 percent of Washington residents have received the updated vaccine, an enhanced shot meant to protect against the newest strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This is even lower than last year’s already low turnout—about one in five Washingtonians—for the bivalent booster shot that was available in 2022.
Of those Washingtonians who have received the most recent vaccine shot, fewer than 18 percent identify as Asian, and just 10 percent identify as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHPI).
The DOH noted that while the difference in vaccine uptake between this year and last year is a full seven percentage points lower than last year within the state’s Asian population, constituting the greatest year-on-year drop when compared with other racial and ethnic groups, “there continues to be a greater proportion of Asian individuals receiving the vaccine each year compared to Washington residents overall.”
However, in the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population, “although NHPI Washington residents have one of the lower differences between last year’s bivalent vaccine and this year’s 2023 updated vaccine, the proportion of [individuals] who have been vaccinated each year is lower than among the total population.”
The persistently low COVID-19 vaccine uptake rate may be for a variety of reasons, the DOH said in an email, but chief among them is insurance coverage. While the vaccines are supposed to be offered at no cost to individuals, insurance companies’ stipulations about where people can get vaccinated and other nuances, such as language barrier, transportation, and access to information and support “has created clear inequities to those dependent upon insurance coverage or Bridge Access Program qualifications, including AAPI populations.”
In an attempt to help resolve what DOH labeled an “equitable access challenge” facing Washingtonians statewide, the first step is to help spell out clearly how people can get their vaccine shots covered.
“Individuals can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost through private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid plans. For individuals without health insurance or in instances where health insurance does not fully cover the cost of vaccines, the federal Bridge Access Program (BAP) can provide coverage for COVID-19 vaccines,” the DOH said.
Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare programs cover vaccinations for enrolled individuals at no cost, and all offer flexible vaccination location options. For people who are enrolled in these programs, getting vaccinations should be quite simple.
Private insurance is more restrictive, however: While the vaccines are free for privately covered individuals, most only offer it through in-network providers, which can sometimes mean only a select number of clinics run by that health insurance provider and/or only at participating pharmacies, which may have changed from previous years. For example, some Kaiser Permanente plans no longer cover vaccinations at any Fred Meyer pharmacies, even though they did in previous years. This means that individuals must pay out of pocket for a vaccine if they get it there, which can cost between $100 and $200, according to reports from Newsweek, ABC, and CBS.
Therefore, if one has private insurance, it is important to check which providers are in-network before making an appointment.
For those whose private insurance does not cover the full cost of vaccines or for those without insurance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the Bridge Access Program. Free COVID-19 vaccines are offered through this program until December 2024. The DOH said that CVS, Walgreens, and some independent pharmacies are among the program’s participating pharmacies. If you plan to take advantage of this program, be sure to do so before the deadline.
For children, there are a few key differences. Under Medicaid, children up to the age of 19 can receive a no-cost vaccine. The DOH still cautions, however, that “[i]n Washington, individuals should call their Medicaid provider to ensure they participate in the Washington Childhood Vaccine Program that would guarantee coverage of costs for vaccines.”
Children who are covered under the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may get vaccines at no cost. For children under the age of 19 without health insurance, the state’s WA State Childhood Vaccine Program provides vaccinations at no cost. A list of providers may be found here.
Tricare beneficiaries may receive the vaccine at no cost under the same coverage scheme as adults. For children with private insurance coverage, the same location stipulations listed above apply.
The information above and more has been translated into different languages spoken within the AAPI community, which can be accessed on by using the language drop-down menu. Readers who need language assistance may also contact the DOH for free language assistance at 1-800-525-0127.
Many other community and local organizations also joined forces to help Asian community members get vaccinated, using different approaches. For instance, the Filipino Community of Seattle, and a few other organizations, has been hosting free vaccination clinics and providing access to medical experts on their staff to anyone who needs assistance. Organizations with smaller capacity such as the Khmer Community Seattle King County provided transportation for their members to go to vaccination clinics and free interpretation services for those who are limited in English proficiency. These organizations also frequently collaborate with each other as well as with local/state health offices to support their community.
Made possible in part by the Washington State Department of Health through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This information does not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Washington State Department of Health or the Department of Health and Human Services.