Move over tax season; it's vaccine season
Make sure you and your loved ones are up to date
Vaccines are one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions. They protect not only the person receiving the vaccine but also help prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the community. This is especially important for vulnerable populations like young children and older adults. World Immunization Week, April 24-30, is a great time to remember the importance of immunizations and check to ensure you and your loved ones are protected.
Are you and your children protected against measles?
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious health problems or death, especially for young and unvaccinated children. Despite measles being declared eliminated in the U.S., many recent outbreaks threaten its elimination status.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 82% of the cases reported this year have been in unvaccinated people and another 13% only had one dose of the two-dose vaccine. Almost half of the cases have been in children younger than 5, and 65% of those children were hospitalized.
Don’t hesitate to schedule your child’s vaccination today if there’s a chance they’re not up to date.
People ages 65+ eligible for another COVID-19 dose
Americans ages 65 and older should receive an additional dose of the latest COVID-19 vaccine this spring, the CDC announced in February.
The spring booster is a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax vaccines that were approved last fall.
“Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk,” said CDC Director Mandy Cohen, M.D.
Use your plan benefits to get vaccinated at no cost
Most Regence health plans cover 100% of the cost of vaccination, including for the flu, COVID-19, measles, pneumonia and childhood immunizations, as a preventive benefit. Many pharmacies, including Costco, Walgreens, Safeway, Kroger and independents offer immunizations during store hours.
We’re here to help
Need help finding an in-network pharmacy or provider? Our online search tool makes it easy to find one that’s right for you. Members who want to learn more about their health plan coverage, in-network providers and more can visit regence.com, sign in to their Regence app or call the number the back of their member ID card.