COVID-19
COVID-19 Vaccines: Patient Choice
Attention Patients:
You have the option to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters WITH or WITHOUT an office visit.
You can choose:
- Vaccine only
- Vaccine with vital sign assessment
- Vaccine with a primary care office visit (inclusive of vital sign assessment)
As a primary care provider that strives to provide the highest level of care to patients and families, we encourage patients to engage in a primary care office visit while receiving vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine. However, you have the option to choose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine only, should you wish to do so. The cost of the actual COVID-19 vaccine distributed by the government is free. There is a standard COVID-19 vaccine administration fee which is covered by insurance plans.
If you do not have insurance, there will be no cost to you for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. If you choose to have a vital sign assessment and/or a primary care office visit, you will be charged for the visit which will be billed to your health insurance provider. Depending on your health insurance plan, you may be required to pay an out-of-pocket expense such as a co-pay, co-insurance, and/or a deductible. We will never deny a health service based on the inability to pay. We have a sliding-fee discount program available for eligible individuals.
Vaccine availability: We are now scheduling all members of the community ages 6 months and older for COVID-19 vaccines. A parent or guardian must accompany patients ages 17 and under to appointments.
We offer three coronavirus vaccines authorized in the United States: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax. Talk with your health care provider about which product is right for you.
COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. You are best protected when you stay up to date with the recommended vaccinations, including recommended boosters.
Bivalent Vaccines: Federal health officials in mid-2022 approved COVID-19 bivalent vaccines that target the original strain of the coronavirus as well as the omicron subvariants currently responsible for spreading the most illness. Two vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, supply the bivalent vaccines. You may make an appointment to receive an updated booster by using The Wright Center’s online appointment system or by calling one of our primary care practices.
Also, Novavax manufactures a booster using a more traditional technology, and certain patients might choose it based on personal preference or a doctor’s recommendation. You may make an appointment to receive the Novavax booster at our Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn by calling 570-230-0019.
Novavax doses are available for adults, children, and certain infants. Age limits differ by product.
More information: For detailed information on the multiple COVID-19 vaccine products available in the United States, age-appropriate doses, and recommended timing between shots, please talk with your health care provider or refer to a trusted online source such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage. Click here.
How to Schedule Your Appointment
You can make an appointment at the primary care location nearest to you by calling the location or, to avoid potential long waits due to high call volumes, by clicking on the button above and using our online appointment system.
After You Schedule Your Appointment:
You will receive a pre-visit packet via email or text message that must be completed before you arrive for your appointment.
Upon Arrival at Your Appointment:
Please bring your photo ID and insurance cards if you have them. For those who are uninsured or underinsured, we offer a sliding-fee discount program.
Know Your COVID-19 Community Risk Level
COVID-19 testing
We offer COVID-19 testing at all of our practices. You can choose to have a COVID-19 test with or without an office visit.
We offer self-swab tests as well as PCR and Antigen tests. If an office visit is chosen, our clinicians are able to assist with determining whether to use rapid-result tests based on each individual’s symptoms, exposure, and risk factors.
*Please note: Due to the unpredictability of supply inventory, 50-minute, in-house PCR rapid testing might be limited and may not be available at the time of your appointment. Our goal is to provide you with results as soon as possible, and we work closely with our vendors and labs to ensure a quick turnaround time. If you require a PCR test and we do not have rapid PCR tests available, your test may be sent to an outside laboratory, causing a delay in your test results. The Wright Center cannot perform PCR or Antigen tests on asymptomatic individuals at this time.
*Note about elective testing: A patient may be billed for out-of-pocket expenses for elective COVID-19 testing in which the patient has no symptoms and no recent known or suspected exposure to coronavirus. Elective testing includes testing that is conducted for these six purposes: travel, general public or health surveillance, employment (including pre-employment or return to work), school attendance, participation in sports, and requirement for social gatherings.
*Note regarding flu season: We can offer, based on the availability of supplies, a four-in-one test that is intended to detect COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Influenza A and B.
COVID-19 treatment options
For COVID-positive patients, The Wright Center offers oral antiviral medications, such as Paxlovid.
Eligibility is based on an in-person or telehealth visit. Eligibility for oral antiviral therapy includes a review of the patient’s bloodwork and current medications.
Our clinical teams have streamlined the referral process so if you test positive at one of our locations, you can be provided immediate access to appropriate treatment, including oral antivirals dispensed at the time of your visit or prescribed for quick pickup at your preferred pharmacy.
Timely treatment with COVID therapeutics can save lives, alleviate symptoms, prevent the further spread of the virus, and relieve the burden on area hospitals and emergency rooms.
Treatment with oral antiviral medications should begin within five days of symptom onset.
To make an appointment, call The Wright Center Mid Valley Practice at 570.230.0019.
