You’re Covered: How to Get a Free COVID-19 Vaccine!

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U.S. Latinos continue to suffer a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases. 

This not only interrupts important parts of our daily lives, but also put people at risk of serious illness and death. 

Staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your familia against the worst outcomes of COVID-19. 

But who should get the vaccine? Are they free? Where? 

Let’s explore how “You’re Covered” against COVID-19! 

Are COVID-19 Vaccines Free? 

Yes. 

COVID-19 vaccines continue to be available to everyone in the United States free of cost, according to the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project. 

Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is partner in the project’s “You’re Covered” campaign. 

“You may have heard about upcoming changes to how COVID-19 vaccines will be paid for, but even as these changes take place, COVID-19 vaccines will still be available and fully covered — free of cost for almost everyone,” according to the You’re Covered campaign. 

Are COVID-19 Vaccines Free for Adults? 

Yes. 

COVID-19 vaccines are currently free through the federal government.  

Starting in the fall, vaccines will be covered through a combination of public and private programs. 

Find more information in this “You’re Covered” Fact Sheet. 

Are COVID-19 Vaccines Free for Children? 

Yes.  

The Vaccines For Children (VFC) program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to all children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. 

Find more information in this “You’re Covered” Fact Sheet. 

Where Can I Get a COVID-19 Vaccine? 

Use Vaccines.gov to find a location near you. 

Then call or visit their website to make an appointment. 

Here are some other tips from the CDC: 

• If you have insurance, check with your selected location or your insurer to confirm that COVID-19 vaccine is covered, and the location is in network. 
• If you have health insurance but it doesn’t fully cover COVID-19 vaccines, you can find locations that provide free vaccines for adults by narrowing your search to find locations that are part of the Bridge Access Program. Check with your location or insurer to confirm that the location is in network. 
• If you don’t have health insurance, you can find locations that provide free vaccines for adults by narrowing your search to find locations that are part of the Bridge Access Program. 

Find COVID-19 vaccination locations near you in English and Spanish. 

Still Undecided on COVID-19 Vaccination? 

Black and Latino people are about half as likely as White people to have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster as of March 2023. 

To encourage Latinos to get vaccinated, Salud America! is sharing stories of real Latinos who are squashing misinformation and getting vaccinated. 

Take, for example, Rosa Herrera. 

Rosa was hesitant to get the COVD-19 vaccine after reading misinformation on Facebook. 

However, after COVID-19 hit close to home, causing her children to become hospitalized, and several of her other family members getting vaccinated, Herrera began to reconsider. 

After more research and consideration, Herrera decided to get vaccinated. 

Now, Herrera helps others schedule vaccination appointments! 

“I tell them, ‘I already did it, you can do it! Nothing is going to happen to you. Nothing happened to me,” Herrera said. “But then at the same time, I let them know that everybody reacts differently because, we’re not all the same. But I think it’ll be better for them to get the vaccine to protect themselves, but mainly for their family members.” 

Find COVID-19 vaccination locations near you in English and Spanish. 

Editor’s Note: Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is a partner in the “You’re Covered” campaign of the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project, led by the Alliance for Aging Research, Healthy Women, and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging.