The U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter. While people of any age can catch COVID-19, it most commonly affects middle-aged and older adults, with the highest risk of serious symptoms being to those 85 years and older. The risk may also be increased in people of any age who have other serious health problems — such as heart or lung conditions, weakened immune systems, obesity, or diabetes. This is similar to what is seen with other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu. Educational Materials about the COVID-19 virus, vaccination, testing and treatment options, can be found on the website for the U.S. Center for Disease Control.

Most Americans can still get a COVID-19 vaccine for free. For people with health insurance, most plans will cover COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. People who don’t have health insurance, or with health plans that do not cover the cost, can get a free vaccine from a number of local health centers and pharmacies. Vaccines.gov offers a portal to search for these local clinics and pharmacies that provide FREE COVID-19 vaccination by zip code.

FREE COVID tests are also available during the fall and winter. The CDC provides an online portal to Search for No-Cost COVID-19 Testing. Each household can also order up to 4 at-home COVID-19 test kits.

You can find more resources related to primary health care by selecting the “Primary Medical Care” category tab on our “Social Service Utilization Library” page.