This week the Food and Drug Administration approved this year's updated COVID vaccines as new highly

contagious mutations are making the summer surge significantly bigger than expected.

Many experts say COVID will be around for a while,

but it could be as manageable as the flu,

especially with widespread vaccination.

But this month, funding runs out

for a federal program providing free vaccines to people

who either don't have insurance or whose insurance doesn't fully cover vaccines.

Laura Sant Thanam is PVS Digital Health reporter.

Laura, where did this program come from?

I know it's delivered about a million and a half

vaccine so far.

Where did it start?

Yeah, so the bridge access program was really a response to our nation's fractured and costly health care system.

If you want to get vaccinated for COVID, you go to the place that your health insurance plan covers.

You roll up your sleeve, get the vaccine, and then your health insurance and

doctor or pharmacist, you know, figure out who pays what later. But that becomes

really problematic for people who don't have health care coverage or adequate health care coverage.

They could be expected to pay $100 per vaccine dose.

And for people who are counting pennies, that is just, they're're gambling they're forced to gamble with their

health and still be able to you know cover bills so what the CDC then decided to do

last fall was launched this program and so it provided free COVID vaccines to unsure or underinsured adults.

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