AUSTIN, Texas — Every day, we get more questions about COVID-19. So, the KVUE Defenders are working to find your answers.
Q: I was positive in September and, after three weeks of quarantine, I was negative at the end of September. How long should the gap be to get vaccinated?
A: The CDC says you can get the vaccine if you've already had the virus, but if currently infected, people should wait until their illness has resolved. Additionally, the CDC says current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection, so people with a recent infection may delay vaccination until the end of that 90-day period if desired.
Q: Will I have to go to my in-network hospital, doctor, pharmacy or other location for my COVID vaccine?
A: The answer to this question might depend on your insurance provider. According to the CDC, vaccines purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to the American people at no cost. You won't be charged for the vaccine itself, but health care providers could charge an administrative fee. The patient's public or private insurance company could cover that cost, or for uninsured patients, the government's "provider relief fund" could pay for it.
Q: Are we restricted to vaccines distributed in our county of residence, or can we go to a neighboring county?
A: There are no county restrictions, per se. However, healthcare leaders tell us vaccines are allocated based on county demographics. So, if someone is going to a different county to get the vaccine, it's not going to be very helpful for those counties.
Q: How can we be sure that if we get a shot (no matter which brand it's from) that we will be able to get the second shot in the allotted time?
A: The Department of State Health Services tell the Defenders for each dose sent to providers, the CDC is reserving a dose to send at the appropriate time for the booster (three or four weeks later, depending on the vaccine). So, there will be vaccines available for people at that time. However, it will be up to you to make that appointment to get the second shot. Many of the first vaccine recipients in our community are now getting their second dose.
We want to know what questions you have about the vaccine. Send us a text at 512-459-9442 and we'll do our best to answer them.
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