Here's Where Uninsured Angelenos Can Get Free COVID Shots — For Now

A federal program providing free COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured adults will shut down in August, just weeks before an updated shot will likely be released for the winter virus season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its Bridge Access Program will end early due to a lack of funding. The temporary program has provided more than 1.4 million free COVID vaccines since it launched in September 2023 at a cost of more than $1 billion, according to the CDC.

It was initially scheduled to end in December 2024.

The closure of the Bridge Access Program will effectively cut off uninsured and underinsured people from the next formulation of the COVID vaccine, which can cost more than $130 at pharmacies such as Costco or Walgreens.

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In 2022, 26 million Americans, or about 8% of the U.S. population, were estimated to have no health insurance, according to the Peter Peterson Foundation.

More than 600,000 — or 10% — of adults under the age of 65 in Los Angeles County do not have health insurance, according to the county Department of Public Health.

“We don't have a national healthcare system that essentially every other high income country in the world has,” said Timothy Brewer, professor of epidemiology at UCLA. "And so we don't provide vaccines for our population.”

“It’s a tragedy,” he added.

Uninsured and underinsured people can still get the current COVID vaccine for free. Here’s how.

Where can uninsured people get a COVID shot in L.A. County? 

Until August, people can find where to locate a free COVID-19 vaccine at myturn.ca.gov. For people outside of California, they can go to vaccines.gov.

This list of providers by location who have free vaccines may change, so it’s best to call before you go.

L.A. County residents can call (833) 540-0473 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week to make an appointment or get more information.

People who are homebound or have difficulty leaving their home can request an in-home vaccination in two ways: Residents can call (833) 540-0473 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week or they can fill out an online request form available in multiple languages.

Long Beach residents can request in-home vaccination here or call the COVID-19 info line: (562) 570-4636.

Pasadena residents can call the Pasadena Public Health Department at (626) 744-6089, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I can’t remember if I got the latest COVID vaccine. How can I check? 

The latest COVID shot became available in September 2023.

All providers in the state of California update the state immunization record, and you can request your own vaccine information. The record only shows vaccinations given in California, not in other states.

What’s the latest COVID data? 

Concentrations of the virus responsible for COVID-19 are on the rise in wastewater treatment facilities across Los Angeles County as of Thursday, according to health department data. The wastewater concentration has been trending up for weeks and is 16 percent of last winter’s peak, up from 13 percent the week prior.

The CDC considers California to be in the “moderate” wastewater category. As a region, the west currently has the highest wastewater concentrations in the U.S.

Will there be another summer surge? 

Travel and air-conditioned gatherings have led to summer surges since the pandemic began. Experts think that trend will continue, but to a lesser degree.

“I think the numbers will go up a little, again, because it's driven by our behavior,” said Neha Nanda, an infectious disease physician with the USC Keck School of Medicine.

“I think this year it'll be lower just because of the immunity in the community.”