Latest COVID-19 vaccines now available on Long Island

Updated vaccines for COVID-19 and the flu are now available at pharmacies and clinics across Long Island, companies announced Wednesday.

The rollout is part of a nationwide push to vaccinate individuals 6 months and older as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges pandemic-weary Americans to get yet another shot to lessen the risk of serious disease and prevent infection.

Pharmacies including CVS, Rite Aid and some Walgreen locations had vaccines available on Wednesday, the companies said.

Interest in last year’s updated vaccine was low — just 22.5% of adults and 14.4% of children 17 years of age or younger received it between Sept. 14, 2023, and May 11, 2024.

Martine Hackett, associate professor of population health at Hofstra University, believes many people will skip the shot again.

"I would predict that there would be much less of an uptake, in part because folks have gotten COVID in big numbers over the last few months; there was a summer surge. So some people might feel like they don't need the vaccine because they feel protected from their recent infection," she said. "But just in general, there's just a lack of urgency around the need to get the most recent version of the vaccine."

Though vaccines are free under most insurance plans, Medicare and Medicaid, the retail price for the vaccine is $198.99, according to pharmacies. "The fact that it may not be free is certainly a concern for people," Hackett said.

Concern about low uptake was echoed by Jim Clyne, CEO of LeadingAge New York, which represents nonprofit nursing homes and other facilities for older adults statewide. It's not clear when doses will be available to facilities from pharmacy vendors, Clyne said.

Facilities, as legally required, have already started to reach out to residents to gauge interest in the updated vaccine, he said, but "there does seem to be some vaccine fatigue among the residents."

"I don't think we'll know until we get their concrete data back about what the takeup rate is on the vaccine," he added.

CDC data as of Wednesday indicates New York State’s epidemic status was not growing or declining but labeled "stable or uncertain."

As of Tuesday, 186 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized across the region, according to state data, as compared with 234 on July 23. There were 204 hospitalizations in late August last year.

Federal officials signed off Thursday on updated COVID-19 vaccines, which are designed to better protect people from the variants that helped fuel a summer wave of cases.

As the fall and winter virus season approach, federal officials have urged people to prepare by getting updated vaccines and ordering free home tests, which will be available at the end of September.

Officials also urged RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) shots for those over the age of 75, and certain categories of pregnant women and children, if they didn't receive them last year.

Experts say those who currently contract COVID-19 tend to be less likely to die because of available treatments such as the antiviral Paxlovid and prior vaccinations, but they still urge people to get updated shots, which can provide protection from infection for a few months.

CVS pharmacies are accepting walk-ins and the company has updated its digital vaccine scheduler to reflect available appointments. Rite Aid is also accepting walk-ins and appointments for the updated vaccine. 

Vaccines are available at some Walgreens locations as of Wednesday, with nationwide availability expected by Sept. 6 for patients 12 and older. The pharmacy chain "welcomes walk-ins" but encourages patients to schedule an appointment or call ahead to confirm that the vaccine is available, said company spokeswoman Samantha Stansberry.

The Suffolk County Health Department hosts monthly vaccine clinics for children and adults eligible through a state program for the underinsured, spokeswoman Grace Kelly-McGovern said. The county does not yet have the updated COVID vaccines. 

The Nassau County Health Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

By Brianne Ledda

brianne.ledda@newsday.com@brianne_ledda

Brianne Ledda covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.