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Winter is approaching. U.S. COVID-19 cases are rising. Questions about accessing protective vaccines are swirling.
Nearly five years since the first U.S. patient got vaccinated to help stem what was then a raging coronavirus pandemic, doctors, patients and pharmacists are navigating a radically different public health landscape.
Data point No. 1: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 27 it had approved some COVID-19 vaccines 鈥� but for far fewer people than in years past.
READ MORE: Florida COVID cases spike right before the start of schools
Data point No. 2: If you tried to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine this week, your pharmacy鈥檚 online scheduler might have told you it isn鈥檛 available yet.
Data point No. 3: Leading medical organizations disagree with the government鈥檚 latest COVID-19 vaccine guidance.
If all that leaves you wondering about your ability to get a COVID-19 shot, you鈥檙e not alone. It鈥檚 confusing.
We sought answers.
Q: Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine?
First, what we do know: The FDA 2025-26 vaccines for anyone age 65 and older and any person 6 months and older who has at least one underlying health condition that increases their risk of severe COVID-19 infection.
So, people in those groups should be able to schedule vaccinations as soon as health care providers who are authorized to administer the vaccine receive it 鈥� likely in the next few weeks.
Q: I don鈥檛 fit into those categories. Am I banned from getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
Not "banned," per se. But it may require more legwork on your end. You鈥檒l need to consult your doctor, who can legally prescribe a COVID-19 vaccine for you even if you don鈥檛 fall within the categories the FDA specified.
"Physicians can prescribe medications and vaccines that are beyond the label, beyond the license," said Dr. William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University Medical Center professor of infectious diseases.
That鈥檚 true for adults and children 鈥� and the practice of prescribing medications and vaccines for "off-label" use is fairly common in pediatrics, he said.
Q: OK, so will insurance still cover COVID-19 vaccinations under these new rules?
If you鈥檙e in one of the two FDA-approved categories the outlook is probably better than if you鈥檙e not.
Federal law requires that most health insurance plans vaccines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its vaccine advisory committee.
Here鈥檚 the rub: Because the CDC hasn鈥檛 yet adopted 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, whether the shots will be covered by insurance is a gray area.
The CDC鈥檚 panel of experts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, had planned to vote on updated COVID-19 vaccine recommendations at its June meeting but did not. And it鈥檚 unclear when or if the ACIP will vote on the recommendations.
But there could be another avenue for people to get insurance-covered COVID-19 vaccines. The CDC鈥檚 vaccine recommendations typically include a provision for what鈥檚 known as "shared clinical decision making," Schaffner said.
That means, for example, "If you were 52 years old and otherwise healthy, but you nonetheless wanted to get the vaccine, you could discuss that with your doctor 鈥� shared clinical decision making 鈥� and you could receive the vaccine, and insurance companies would honor that," he said.
That provision could be important for healthy people who want to avoid COVID-19 infection because they are close contacts with or care for people with high risk conditions.
But again, without CDC recommendations, "We don't know if that provision is still there," Schaffner said.
To confirm whether your insurance will cover your COVID-19 shot, Schaffner recommends talking to your doctor and, potentially, your insurance provider. But first, give it a little more time: Healthcare providers themselves are still working out the details.
Q: If my insurance doesn鈥檛 cover vaccination, how much might it cost?
Vaccine manufacturers report that COVID-19 vaccines cost about $142, according to the . It鈥檚 unclear whether that would be the out-of-pocket cost for patients receiving a COVID-19 vaccine not covered by insurance.
Q: Are COVID-19 vaccines still recommended during pregnancy? And if I鈥檓 pregnant and want one, what can I do?
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in May announced he鈥檇 unilaterally removed COVID-19 vaccines from the recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. The health-focused news outlet that no one from the CDC or ACIP was consulted before Kennedy announced this change. Vaccine experts called .
Removing the vaccines from the immunization schedule could limit vaccine access by insurance companies鈥� of the shot. But again, by consulting with your doctor, you might still be able to access it. Some pharmacies also might be able to provide it, because the CDC lists pregnancy as a factor that increases risk of severe COVID-19 infection.
Q: Is there anyone who should not get the COVID-19 shot?
Broad health guidance always comes with exceptions. For example, people who have had "a very severe adverse reaction to a previous COVID-19 vaccine" should not get this season鈥檚 version, Schaffner said. You should discuss your health situation with your physician for personalized guidance.
Q: Why is the outlook for COVID-19 vaccines so different this year?
In short, Kennedy has long been broadly critical of vaccinations and, now that he鈥檚 in charge of the nation鈥檚 health care policy, has taken actions to overhaul their regulation and distribution.
Typically, the CDC recommends vaccines based on guidance from the ACIP. ACIP鈥檚 recommendations become CDC policy if they鈥檙e by the CDC director. This year, Kennedy fired all 17 members of ACIP and with new members, many of whom have expressed antivaccine views. CDC Director Susan Monarez Aug. 27 amid a over vaccine policy.
In previous years, the CDC COVID-19 vaccines for ages 6 months and older. The committee still hasn鈥檛 issued COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for this year.
Q: Aren鈥檛 there some medical organizations that recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for most people, though?
Yes. In recent months, professional organizations have issued their own recommendations that contradict new messaging from the federal government.
The American Academy of Pediatrics routine COVID-19 vaccines for all children ages 6 months through 23 months and for kids ages 2 to 18 in some situations including if they鈥檙e at high risk of COVID-19, have never been vaccinated against it or live in a household with people who are high risk.
And the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that anyone pregnant or lactating receive updated or "booster" COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Disease Society of America, the FDA鈥檚 decision to limit the COVID-19 vaccine鈥檚 approval "contradicts the evidence base, severely undermines trust in science-driven policy and dangerously limits vaccine access."
Q: What qualifies as an underlying health condition that puts someone at higher risk?
The FDA and HHS did not point us to a list of health conditions that meet the high risk requirements.
The CDC鈥檚 website catalogs that it said demonstrate "a conclusive increase in risk for at least one severe COVID-19 outcome." They included: chronic lung diseases, cancer, certain chronic kidney and liver diseases, diabetes, some disabilities, heart conditions, HIV, physical inactivity, primary immunodeficiencies and some mental health conditions.
Q: But I clicked on those lists and both say "pregnancy and recent pregnancy" are risk factors. How do I square that with the latest changes?
You鈥檙e right. These lists are inconsistent with the messaging coming from top HHS officials. Again, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continues to COVID-19 vaccines for people who are pregnant and lactating. Talk to your doctor.
Q: Is this season鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccine formula different from last season鈥檚?
Yes. After the FDA passed its recommendations to vaccine manufacturers , the COVID-19 vaccines were updated to target the viral strain expected to circulate this year. The changes align with the World Health Organization鈥檚 .
Q: When will the updated COVID-19 shots be available?
Since FDA鈥檚 approval, updated vaccines are set to start shipping immediately and might even be available now in some pharmacies. Pfizer it was shipping immediately and would be available across the U.S. "in the coming days." Sanofi, the company distributing the Novavax non-mRNA vaccines, said its vaccine should be available "in the early fall."
But what that means for how quickly you can access it could depend on where you live, your age and your health. (See next question!)
Q: Where can I get the updated COVID-19 shots?
We knew you were going to ask. And we wish we had a straightforward answer.
If you typically get your COVID-19 shots at a local pharmacy, it might not be that easy this year.
As of Aug. 29, the scheduling apps for Walgreens and CVS notified patients in some locations that they could not schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment because of state restrictions, inventory or the need for a prescription.
In 18 states and Washington, D.C., pharmacists鈥� authority to administer vaccines is linked to the CDC鈥檚 recommendations, said Brigid Groves, American Pharmacists Association鈥檚 vice president of professional affairs. The states are: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
That means even though the FDA has issued its approval, in those 19 places, pharmacists cannot administer it because it isn鈥檛 on the CDC immunization schedule yet, Groves said.
The American Pharmacists Association has asked those states鈥� governors to issue executive orders granting pharmacists broader authority to administer vaccines.
In the other 32 states, with some exceptions, it鈥檚 possible that a pharmacy can administer the updated COVID-19 shots for patients who fall within the FDA-approved categories of recipients.
If you are getting it "off label," however, because you don鈥檛 have one of those underlying conditions, you might need to get it straight from your prescribing doctor.
One caveat: If the ACIP votes on recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines that includes giving them to healthy people through the "shared clinical decision making" process, Groves said pharmacists would be able to vaccinate almost anyone. That鈥檚 because pharmacists are considered clinicians who can conduct that shared decision making.
Q: When might the ACIP vote on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations?
The committee has a Sept 18-19 meeting scheduled, according to . A hasn鈥檛 been published yet.
Q: How will a pharmacy know if I have an underlying condition?
Typically, pharmacies ask patients to self-attest whether they have an underlying condition, Groves said. For example, a person who is under age 65 but has severe asthma would self-attest to that when making a vaccine appointment. So far, all signs point to that self-attestation still being the case.
Q: When is the best time to get vaccinated?
During months, when COVID-19 infections are typically to spike alongside other respiratory infections.
Q: What do the administration鈥檚 vaccine changes mean for future COVID-19 vaccines?
Kennedy recently for mRNA vaccine development. Two of the most effective COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA. Some companies had been combined mRNA flu and COVID-19 shots, and those projects鈥� status is unclear.
The FDA also recently that vaccine makers seeking approval for future COVID-19 vaccines, or boosters, would new randomized clinical trials of healthy populations. That move, combined with the decision to narrow the FDA鈥檚 vaccine approval for certain segments of the population, is expected to .
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