Best All-Natural Cold and Flu Medicine in 2022

Ice-T Always Gets The Flu Vaccine. Here's Why You Should, Too

Grammy-winning rapper, Ice-T, shares his story with getting the flu vaccine all his life in a ... [+] campaign with Sanofi and Fluzone

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Ice-T has been getting the flu vaccine for many, many years. Why? His reason is simple: "I just don't want to get sick." In a recent interview, the star of the long-running Law & Order: SVU talked to me about his early military career, men's health, Black individuals' mistrust of doctors and the government, and his partnership with Sanofi including its vaccine, Fluzone. The Season, a suspenseful film to which Ice-T provides the voiceover, aims to educate older adults, particularly those with chronic illnesses, about the harms of influenza.

"I've been taking the flu vaccine for, like, 25 years, so yeah, I wanted to get involved," says the Grammy-winner. "I want to promote what I'm already doing because I hate getting sick." In the army, he received multiple vaccines. "When you're in the infantry going to someplace like Panama, out in the field, the last thing you want to get is sick. So we took everything we could to stay healthy."

Ice-T also proudly points out that in his 24-year tenure on Law & Order, he had never taken a sick day. In fact, he reveals that his boss, Dick Wolf, gave him the greatest compliment: "You're the least pain in my ass!" The former reality star also doesn't want his wife or 7-year-old child to get sick. The whole family receives all necessary vaccines.

The global hip-hop star discussed Fluzone, a high-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine, and its indication for people 65 years of age and older. Fluzone provides active immunization for prevention of the flu caused by subtypes A and B of the influenza virus. This flu campaign held personal significance for Ice-T: he turned 65 earlier this year and is aware that he's now at higher risk of flu-related complications.

Influenza Symptoms and Complications

A doctor inoculates Boston's Mayor Peters with the flu vaccine in 1918. At the time, the Influenza ... [+] Pandemic infected 33% of the world's population, killing an estimated 50 million people.

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While the flu can be as mild as the common cold, it can also cause severe illness and death. Symptoms can come on suddenly. Fever, chills, sore throat, cough, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches and fatigue are the most common symptoms. Most people recover in a few days, possibly up to two weeks. Others, however, may develop life-threatening complications. Ear and sinus infections are typically on the moderate side. Pneumonia, myocarditis (heart inflammation), rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle injury), encephalitis (brain inflammation) and multi-organ failure are examples of severe complications that can lead to death. The flu can also worsen existing chronic health problems such as asthma and heart disease.

The good news is that the flu vaccine can reduce the risk of getting the flu and its complications including death. This is why Ice-T gets vaccinated. The bad news, however, is that flu vaccination rates in the United States aren't that great. During the 2021-22 season, the CDC reported that the overall vaccination rate against the flu was 51%. Thankfully, the most vulnerable group—people over 65—had a higher vaccination rate (74%). But only 49% of adults ages 18-64 received the flu vaccine—data that concerns public health experts.

Influenza A Virus. The flu causes approximately 400,000 deaths worldwide.

Getty Images Vaccination Rates Declining

"Vaccines have become a victim of their own success," commiserates Paul A. Offit, MD, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Pre-vaccine, measles killed 2.6 million people each year. "We don't see measles anymore because of vaccines," explains Dr. Offit. Until now. Vaccine-preventable illnesses are making a resurgence including polio, pertussis (whooping cough) and measles—respiratory infections that can cause severe health problems including paralysis, convulsions and death.

"People don't realize the dangerous game we play when we let immunization rates drop," cautions the pediatrician and public health advocate.

An internationally recognized expert in virology and immunology, Dr. Offit advises people with respiratory-type symptoms to get tested for flu, COVID-19 and RSV. If you're sick, then stay home. But if you have to leave the house, then wear a mask. "All of these viruses are bad," warns Dr. Offit.

Vaccines and Health Inequity

According to the HHS Office of Minority Health, Black Americans are less likely to get the flu or pneumonia vaccines, particularly the most vulnerable demographics: Black individuals >65 and babies aged 19-35 months. Combined with the disproportionate burden of chronic diseases, far too many Black Americans are at high risk of flu-related complications, hospitalizations and premature death. So, I asked Ice-T—the lyricist of "Cop Killer," a song about police brutality against Black people—what role race played, if at all, in his decision to promote the flu vaccine.

Health disparities are widely prevalent in the U.S., and completely preventable. More than 12% of ... [+] Black children nationwide suffer from asthma compared with 5% of white children.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

"None," asserts the songwriter without hesitation. "Black people have their feelings about vaccines. We have a history. Black people were used as guinea pigs, you know? I just speak for myself. I've been taking the flu vaccine for years. I have no problem with it." Ice-T believes that the lack of trust by Black and brown communities for the medical establishment and the government is a major reason for low vaccination rates among "my people." Scholars of racial injustice agree.

"Health disparities are totally avoidable and only exist because of racism," explains Ayana Jordan, M.D., PhD, Barbara Wilson Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. "It's a system built on a social construct—totally made up—but has real negative consequences for those who are not a part of the 'preferential or ideal race.'" The Covid-19 pandemic unmasked longstanding racial injustice.

Dr. Jordan shares Ice-T's belief that Black people, in particular, have mistrust of medical professionals because "we've been treated so poorly and harmed by the U.S healthcare system." Solutions exist. If we invest in structures that promote better health such as clean water, green spaces, universal healthcare and universal basic income for the most minoritized groups or those most severely impacted by racism, then according to Dr. Jordan, "we could begin to build an equitable health system where we all benefit."

Men Need to See the Doctor

Studies show that men do not see the doctor anywhere near as regularly as women.

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In addition to promoting the flu vaccine, Ice-T had another incentive for joining this campaign: encouraging men to see a physician. The rapper jokes about men vs. Women. "My wife, Coco, talks to her gynecologist if she breaks a nail! Women are so in tune with their bodies. But men, we have to be on a slab before we go see a doctor." The award-winning musician is getting more health-conscious as he's getting older, reflecting with sadness and shock over his 40-year-old male friends dying. "I'm like, come on, man, what's happening? At 65, I'm out here doing everything I was doing when I was 25."

Data supports Ice-T's assertion. According to the CDC, women are 33% more likely than men to see a doctor, even excluding pregnancy-related visits. This statistic prompted the platinum-selling hip-hop artist to ask if this was why women outlive men.

Female life expectancy, indeed, exceeds that of males. Before 1950, excess mortality of baby boys was the largest contributor to the sex gap in lifespan. But more recently, higher mortality among men 60+ tipped the scales towards increased female life expectancy. I offered a different perspective: married men live longer than single men—a fact that fascinated the husband of 21 years. In contrast, studies suggest that single women fare better when they live alone, possibly because women who don't live with a husband or children are liberated from traditional roles and expectations. All of these stats riveted the hip-hop star who just wanted to continue living a "straight path."

Ice-T arrives at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in ... [+] New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

2018 Invision Self-Care

Ice-T wears many hats: singer, songwriter, producer, actor, activist, husband and father. Given his demanding schedule, I asked him about his self-care routine.

"I'm on a very low-stress diet. I eat all foods but in moderation," describes the New Jack City star. He also shares his diagnosis of high blood pressure early in his career: "It was stress-related so I started to remove certain people from my life." He also doesn't raise his voice, and anybody who works for him "needs to be mellow." Staying active is also key—not an easy task while working LONG hours on a hit television show. "I do my little workouts night and day."

As an addiction medicine doctor, I was captivated by his substance-free lifestyle which he attributes to "being an orphan." Ice-T's mother died when he was 8; his father died five years later.

"I never drank. I never smoked. I never got high. As an orphan, I didn't want to compromise my safety because when you get drunk or high, you're putting your hands in somebody else's. I never had anybody." Ice-T reiterates that these choices worked for him. "Everybody's got to find out what works for them."

Ice-T also connects his mental wellness to life's little indulgences. "If I take away my tacos, I won't be happy up here!" he says, pointing to his brain.

As a doctor and public health advocate dedicated to serving the underserved, addressing stress-related conditions and combatting misinformation (including anti-vaccine propaganda), I am extraordinarily grateful to Ice-T for using his massive global platform to share his story with vaccines, prevention and overall health. We need FAR more celebrities like Ice-T who follow science and use their influence to save lives.

To see the full interview, visit my YouTube channel.

A New COVID Vaccine Dose Is Now Available For People Age 65 And Older. Where Can You Find A Shot Near You?

A New COVID Vaccine Dose Is Now Available for People Age 65 and Older. Where Can You Find a Shot Near You?KQEDSearch-IconKQEDSave ArticleSave ArticleKQEDKQED upper waypoint

Pharmacist Aaron Sun administers the COMIRNATY® (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) vaccine by Pfizer, to John Vuich at a CVS Pharmacy in Eagle Rock, LA County.  (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Mar 2

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Older adults age 65 and over can now get another COVID vaccine this spring, after the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) formally recommended an extra shot for this age group.

The additional vaccine being offered to this age group is another dose of the same updated COVID vaccine that became widely available last fall for everyone age 6 months and older. All people in this 65+ age group are now eligible to receive this extra vaccine, as long as it's been at least four months since their last COVID vaccine. These new shots are now rolling out through health care providers and county public health departments, as well as at health centers and pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Safeway.

Keep reading for what you need to know about the new booster shots for people age 65 and older, and how to find a free COVID vaccine near you for yourself or a loved one.

Jump straight to:

Why should older adults age 65 and over get another dose of the COVID vaccine this spring?

The CDC's recommendation, made on Feb. 28, acknowledges what the agency calls "the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults."

"Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older," said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen in a statement announcing the approval of extra vaccines for this age group. "An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk," she said.

There's also a practical element to the CDC's decision to recommend an extra vaccine dose for this age  group — because their recommendation means that now health insurers have to cover your extra 2024 COVID vaccine. This update means that older adults now join immunocompromised people in being eligible for an additional vaccine dose due to their higher risk levels.

Unlike previous rounds of the vaccine, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC aren't calling the latest COVID vaccine a "booster" — so you probably won't see that language online around appointments. Instead, they're referring to it as a "new" or "updated" COVID vaccine for 2023–2024 that's been updated to better target a more recent strain of the coronavirus than previous vaccines: This time, the omicron variant known as XBB.1.5.

Jump straight to:

Why have these latest COVID vaccine rollouts seemed so different this time? Do I have to pay for it now?

If you're wondering why the new COVID vaccine took a while to become widely available back in the fall, or why you heard reports of some people with Medicare being charged over $150 to receive the new vaccine at a pharmacy back then, it's because of one major change that started in 2023: The federal government has stopped footing the bill for COVID vaccines.

The shots have now transitioned into the traditional health care market. So for most people with health insurance, their insurer will now cover the cost of getting the new COVID vaccine direct, much like your plan might cover your flu shot — and this is why many county public health officials urge people to first seek out the new vaccine via their health care provider. (It's also why those county-run vaccination sites that were so common at the height of the pandemic now no longer exist on the same scale, and will primarily be targeted toward folks without insurance.)

And if you're one of those people who don't have insurance, the White House will still cover the costs of your COVID vaccines through a federal program until December 2024. But this means you may now have a narrower choice of places to get it.

The bottom line is that your updated vaccine should still be free, the way COVID vaccines have been throughout the pandemic. But if you have health insurance, it's still important to be extra sure you're asking for your COVID shot somewhere that accepts that insurance — especially if you're going to a pharmacy. In other words, you now have to think about all the potential costs and insurance wrangling that you didn't have to consider for several years when it came to your COVID care.

Why can't I get my new COVID vaccine at a pharmacy if I have Kaiser?

Another reason you might potentially be charged for your new COVID vaccine, or denied the shot if you refuse to pay out of pocket: if you get your health care through a health system like Kaiser Permanente.

Usually, if you have health insurance, you should be able to give your insurer's details at a pharmacy vaccination appointment to have the cost of your shot billed to them. Health systems like Kaiser are the exception to this, and so you almost certainly won't be able to get your new COVID vaccine at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens, the way you can't get your flu shot covered by Kaiser at a pharmacy either.

Instead, Kaiser Permanente has recommended members receive their updated COVID vaccinations at a Kaiser, where the cost of the new COVID vaccines will be covered "according to the coverage of routine vaccinations provided by members' plan benefits when administered at a Kaiser Permanente facility," a spokeperson told KQED in 2023. This has also meant that those who have health insurance through Kaiser have faced a slightly longer wait for their new COVID vaccine than folks with other types of insurance, unless you're prepared to pay large costs up-front. CVS, for example, charges $190.99 for the new COVID vaccine "if CVS is not in network with your insurance plan."

A Kaiser spokesperson told KQED on Feb. 29 that "we are updating our processes and systems to reflect the new CDC recommendation" for people age 65 and older, and that Kaiser expects to begin administering this extra dose "in most areas we serve in California by March 8, and possibly earlier in some locations." Find a Kaiser location near you currently offering the new COVID vaccine.

Is the Novavax COVID vaccine available as well as Moderna and Pfizer's new vaccines?

Yes: After a period of FDA review, the Novavax COVID vaccine was authorized in 2023 for people age 12 and older who have not already been vaccinated with the new Moderna or Pfizer COVID vaccine.

Unlike Pfizer and Moderna's new COVID shots, the Novavax vaccine is a non-mRNA, protein-based vaccine. One reason some people choose the Novavax vaccine is based on aftereffects from getting the shot — as Science has reported, Novavax "appeared less likely than mRNA shots to cause side effects like headache and fatigue" in clinical trials.

What's the cost of the vaccine, whether I have insurance or not?

This is the first time during the COVID pandemic that the federal government isn't footing the bill for these vaccines. Now that the White House's public health emergency for COVID has ended, these COVID vaccines are no longer purchased or distributed by the federal government. Now, COVID shots have transitioned to the traditional health care market and will be increasingly considered the way that other preventative vaccines, like flu shots, are.

For most people with health insurance, their insurer will cover the cost of getting the new COVID vaccine, including Medicare.

COVID shots have transitioned to the traditional health care market and will be increasingly considered the way that other preventative vaccines, like flu shots, are. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

But if you don't have insurance, the White House will still cover your COVID vaccines through a federal program called the Bridge Access Program, which lasts through December 2024. This means you'll now have a narrower choice of places to get your COVID vaccine because you'll have to make sure the vaccination location you've chosen participates in the Bridge Access Program.

The CDC says people without insurance will be able to visit the federal government's vaccines.Gov site to find a location where they can get the new COVID vaccine for free. When searching for a vaccination location near you using this site, be sure to check the box marked "Participating in Bridge Access Program."

I'm 65 or older and I had COVID recently. Do I have to wait before getting my extra COVID vaccine?

Yes, the CDC advises that you "may consider delaying vaccination by 3 months from symptom onset."(PDF) And if your case was asymptomatic, use the date of your positive test instead of the onset of your symptoms.

This means, that if you had a COVID infection after early December 2024, you may wish to delay getting your new COVID vaccine until you hit your three-month mark. But as with all matters relating to your health, it's best to speak directly to your health care provider about the best option for you.

A nurse prepares a first dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for Jose Luis Sánchez at a clinic in Pasadena, on Aug. 19, 2021. The clinic was one of the first in the city to offer 'supplemental' third coronavirus shots to people with immunological conditions, according to organizers. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) Where can I find an extra COVID vaccine this spring if I'm age 65 or older?

Don't assume you'll be proactively contacted about getting an extra dose of the updated COVID vaccine.

Remember that a certain location may only be offering a certain brand of the new vaccine, whether that's Moderna, Pfizer or Novavax. So be sure that the location you're walking into or making an appointment for offers the type of updated vaccine you need or want. Read more about "mixing and matching" COVID vaccines.

Also make sure the appointment you schedule for your new additional vaccine is at least four months after your last COVID vaccine shot, or three months after your last COVID infection. (When you're making an appointment for a new vaccine, you'll likely be asked for the date of your last COVID vaccine dose or booster dose for this reason, to ensure you're not getting your shot too soon.)

A nurse marks a coronavirus vaccination card with a third booster dose of Pfizer at a vaccine clinic in Pasadena on Aug. 19, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images))

1. Find an extra COVID vaccine dose through a local pharmacy 

For future reference, pharmacies are usually the first place new vaccine shots become available when announced because pharmacies take their cue from the federal government, not the state. Several pharmacy chains, including CVS and Walgreens, are now offering online appointments for the new additional COVID vaccine dose for people age 65 and older, and some may also accept walk-in appointments with no prescheduling required.

If you have health insurance like Medicare, you should be able to give your insurer's details at a pharmacy vaccination appointment to have the cost of your shot billed to them. One big exception to this: If you get your health care through a health system like Kaiser Permanente, you almost certainly won't be able to get your new COVID vaccine for free (i.E., covered by your insurance) at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens, the way you can't get your flu shot covered by Kaiser at a pharmacy either.

Ultimately, if you are a member of a health system like Kaiser and are unsure about what your health insurance covers, reach out to your provider to check if you will need to obtain your new COVID vaccine through them, in order to have it covered. Read more about why you'll need to get your new COVID vaccine at a Kaiser facility if you get your health care through Kaiser.

If you don't have health insurance, some pharmacies will be offering appointments that don't require health insurance. Visit the federal government's vaccines.Gov website to search for a location near you, and be sure to check the box marked "Participating in Bridge Access Program," (the name of the federal program that's funding new COVID vaccines for uninsured people). For example, a CVS spokesperson confirmed to KQED that the pharmacy chain is participating in the CDC's Bridge Access Program.

2. Find an extra COVID vaccine dose through your health care provider, when available

If you have health insurance, check with your health care provider to see whether they can offer you an updated COVID vaccine.

If you don't have health insurance but get medical care through a city- or county-run provider, you should check with that location to see whether they can offer you the new COVID vaccine.

In addition to trying to talk with your health care provider directly, check the website of your provider to see whether it's offering the ability to make appointments, and sign up for their vaccine notifications if that's an option.

3. Find an extra COVID vaccine dose through vaccines.Gov 

Visit the federal government's vaccines.Gov website to see when appointments for the new updated COVID vaccine in or near your zip code become available. Right now, the majority of Bay Area appointments visible on vaccines.Gov appear to be at pharmacies.

Using vaccines.Gov is also the CDC's recommendation for finding a vaccination site if you're uninsured. When searching for a vaccination location near you using this site, be sure to check the box marked "Participating in Bridge Access Program," because that's the name of the federal program that'll be funding new COVID vaccines for uninsured people.

4. Find an extra COVID vaccine dose through My Turn

Throughout the pandemic, My Turn has been the state's site for all Californians to schedule vaccination appointments or find walk-in locations, regardless of health insurance status.

Because the new COVID vaccines are now being distributed through the traditional health care market, My Turn's services are now geared primarily toward uninsured people. The site's homepage says that "if you don't have insurance or your plan doesn't cover routine vaccinations, My Turn will provide a list of locations that offer vaccines at no cost for the uninsured."

If you visit the My Turn page, select "Make an Appointment." My Turn will ask for your information, and the ZIP code or location you'd like to use to search for vaccine appointments. You can give your home location, or input other locations to see which sites might be available farther away.

If you can't travel to a clinic for your new COVID vaccine because of health or transportation issues, you can note this when registering on My Turn, and a representative from the CDPH is supposed to call you to arrange an in-home visit or transportation.

My Turn will ask you to provide a cellphone number and an email address. The state says this is so you can use two-factor authentication to confirm your identity and make your appointment, and to prevent bots from automatically scooping up available appointments online.

If you don't have an email address or a cellphone number, or you have questions, you can call the California COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255 (Monday–Friday 8 a.M.–8 p.M., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.M.–5 p.M. PT) and sign up over the phone. Both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking operators are available. Callers needing information in other languages will be connected to a translation service that offers assistance in over 250 languages.

Rufus Peoples receives his booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine during an Oakland County Health Department vaccination clinic at the Southfield Pavilion on Aug. 24, 2021, in Southfield, Michigan. (Emily Elconin/Getty Images)

5. Find an extra COVID vaccine dose through your county (if available)

Visit your county's public health website to learn if your county will soon be offering the new updated COVID vaccine to its residents, particularly those who are uninsured or under-insured.

Find your Bay Area county in our list.

Tell us: What else do you need information about?

At KQED News, we know that it can sometimes be hard to track down the answers to navigate life in the Bay Area in 2024. We've published clear, practical explainers and guides about COVID, how to cope with intense winter weather and how to exercise your right to protest safely.

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