COVID-19 Guidance

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Updated COVID-19 Shot Recommended for Everyone Ages 6 Months and Older

An updated COVID-19 shot is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older. Staying up to date with your COVID-19 shots significantly lowers the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

Updated COVID-19 shots are becoming available at pharmacies and health centers here in Stamford, so please follow our social media pages and continue to check our website for updates.

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As we continue through fall and look ahead to the winter months, we’ve put together the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about COVID-19.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

If I’ve had a previous COVID-19 shot, should I still get an updated shot?

Yes. You can get an updated shot at least two months after getting your last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.

 

If I have had COVID-19, should I still get an updated COVID-19 shot?

Yes. If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider waiting three months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you received a positive test.

 

Why has the COVID-19 shot been updated?

The COVID-19 virus changes and forms new variants; the updated COVID-19 shot provides enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations here in the United States.

Is the updated COVID-19 shot free?

The updated COVID-19 shot is free for most people with health insurance, so check your policy.

If you don’t have health insurance or your health insurance policy doesn’t cover the cost of the COVID-19 shot, you can get a free shot through the CDC’s Bridge Access Program. There is no enrollment process for adults, ages 18 and older.  Your child can get a free COVID-19 shot through the CDC’s Vaccines for Children program if you don’t have health insurance or if your health insurance policy doesn’t cover the cost of their shot. 

Click here to learn more about the Vaccines for Children Program.

Where can I get an updated COVID-19 shot?

If you have health insurance, click here to search for providers offering COVID-19 shots by zip code.

If you don’t have health insurance or your health insurance policy doesn’t cover the cost of a COVID-19 shot, you can get a free shot from a provider participating in the Bridge Access Program. At the link below, you can search for locations near your zip code; the listing will say “Bridge Access Program Participant” if that provider participates in the program.

Click here to search for providers offering free COVID-19 shots by zip code.

You can receive a free Novavax vaccine at our 137 Henry St. Clinic on Tuesdays 9-2 and Wednesdays 8:30-2. Please call 203-977-5385 for an appointment.

What should I do if I think I have COVID-19?

If you have symptoms, test immediately. If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19, wait at least five days before testing. You can take an at-home rapid test or take a rapid or PCR test at a pharmacy or healthcare provider’s office. Current tests can detect the new variants.

  • A PCR test is more likely to detect the virus (especially if you don’t have symptoms) than an at-home rapid test; PCR tests provide more reliable negative test results. It may take up to three days to receive PCR test results. You can get a PCR test at most pharmacies and health providers’ offices.
  • If you take an at-home rapid test, you’ll have results in 15 to 30 minutes. Positive results are accurate and reliable, but negative results are not always accurate.
  • If you have symptoms and your at-home rapid test is negative, take another at-home test 48-hours later or get a PCR test at your pharmacy or healthcare provider’s office.
  • If you don’t have symptoms and your at-home rapid test is negative, take two additional at-home tests 48 hours apart or get a PCR test at your pharmacy or healthcare provider’s office.
  • If you test positive and have symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider about treatments that can reduce your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

     

Where can I get a COVID-19 test?

Starting September 25, 2023, every household may order up to four, free at-home rapid COVID-19 test kits.

Click here to order your free at-home rapid COVID-19 test kits.

Anyone can purchase at-home tests at local pharmacies. If you have insurance, you may be eligible for a reimbursement, so check your policy. To get a rapid or PCR test at a healthcare provider’s office, check your policy (including Medicare) to see if COVID-19 testing is fully or partially covered by your plan. Anyone can get tested at community-based testing site. 

Click here to search for Community-Based Testing Sites providing low or no-cost tests.

The below providers in the Stamford area are offering free tests to people without insurance and who have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who tested positive:

 

  1. Quest Patient Service Center 1250 Summer St Stamford, CT 06905
  2. Walgreens 780 E Main St Stamford, CT 06902
  3. CVS 1239 East Putnam Ave. Riverside, CT 06878

     

      Click here to view the CDC’s No-Cost COVID Testing Locator.

     

Can I still use my at-home COVID-19 test if it is past the expiration date on the box?

Most at-home COVID-⁠19 tests have received expiration date extensions from the FDA. Click here to see if your at-home COVID-19 test kit’s expiration date has been extended.

 

Can I get my flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time?

Yes. 

Flu shots will be provided at pharmacies, as well as on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Department's 137 Henry St. Clinic. 

 

I’m pregnant/breastfeeding, should I get an updated COVID-19 shot?

Yes, an updated shot is recommended for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It can help protect both you and your baby, younger than six months old, from severe illness. If you have questions, talk to your healthcare provider.

 

What else can I do to help prevent getting COVID-19?

Move activities outdoors, avoid crowded areas, wear a mask or respirator (for example, N95) in crowded indoor spaces if you’re at-risk or if COVID-19 hospitalizations are high in your area, clean high-touch surfaces often, and wash your hands frequently.

 

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Last updated: 9/22/23