The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is allowing Americans to request another round of free COVID-19 tests through the HHS website.
The website to request tests opened on Thursday as officials said they will start shipping tests the week of September 30. The tests are being made available following a surprising summer surge of COVID-19 cases.
The surge in cases caught some health officials by surprise as the summer is generally when viruses like COVID-19 tend to wane.
"The COVID-19 Tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year," the department said in a statement on its website.
The free tests are being offered as health officials anticipate an increase in COVID-19 cases during the winter months, which is typical for respiratory viruses.
The government has been offering free COVID-19 tests since the height of the pandemic. The program has distributed more than 900 million tests, HHS says.
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In addition to tests that will be able to detect the latest COVID strains, new vaccines are now available. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the release of updated shots in August. The vaccines will target the KP.2 variant, which is a descendant of the JN.1 variant that widely circulated throughout the U.S. last winter.
Unlike the tests, however, the vaccines won't necessarily be free. The federal government is no longer subsidizing COVID-19 shots for all Americans. Instead, it is relying on private insurers to pay for vaccines, which is similar to how insurance companies handle flu shots.
Low-income Americans can get free COVID-19 shots through Medicaid. Local health departments may also help provide shots for low-income residents.
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