October 11, 2023

HOUSTON - The Houston Health Department is now offering free updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccines to adults and children lacking health insurance or enrolled in health plans that don’t cover all vaccination costs.

The department’s four health centers and weekly mobile vaccination clinics across Houston are providing the updated Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech shots.

“Getting an updated vaccine is the best way people can ensure they develop defenses against the COVID-19 virus,” said Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the City of Houston. “It’s best to secure protection offered by a COVID-19 shot before our area begins grappling with the spike in cases in November or the peak in December as we’ve experienced during the pandemic these last few years.”

It is recommended that everyone 6 months and older receive an updated vaccine by the end of October to reduce their risk of developing severe illness, hospitalization, long COVID and death.

The updated vaccines target the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant and are better able to fight currently circulating variants.

Disease monitoring by the health department indicates that nearly 5,000 people in Houston have died due to complications from COVID-19 infection since the start of the pandemic.

The federal government in previous years provided free COVID-19 vaccines for everyone, but distribution changed in September when the shots moved to the commercial market. The vaccines are still free for most people through their private health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid plans. People with insurance may need to use an approved, in-network pharmacy or healthcare facility.

The department offers the updated shots to uninsured and underinsured adults through the Bridge Access program, launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) two months ago to provide free COVID-19 vaccines through December of 2024.

It offers the shots to children who are either uninsured, underinsured, enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP or eligible for the Vaccines For Children program.  

Department health centers and their locations are:

• La Nueva Casa De Amigos Health Center, 1809 N. Main Street,
• Northside Health Center, 8504 Schuller Road,
• Sharpstown Health Services, 6201 Bonhomme Road, and
• Sunnyside Health Center, 4410 Reed Road.

People can get the updated COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after their last COVID-19 shot. They also need to wait three months after having a COVID-19 infection before getting the updated shot.

Uninsured and underinsured adults can also opt to get a free COVID-19 vaccine at retail pharmacies participating in Bridge Access program including, CVS, Walgreens and the smaller and independent pharmacies participating under the eTrueNorth umbrella.

For more information, people can call the department’s call center at 832-393-4220 or visit HoustonHealth.org.