Stopping by a pharmacy to get a COVID-19 booster shot this fall may be more difficult than in previous years due to recent changes in vaccine recommendations. The Food and Drug Administration approved the latest round of boosters on August 27, but only for Americans over age 65 or those with certain health conditions. This is a shift from last year, when anyone over six months old could receive the shot.
The new guidance comes after Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed concerns about vaccinating young children and pregnant people earlier this year. In a post on X, Kennedy stated that shots would be “available for all patients who choose them after consulting with their doctors,” though some may face obstacles accessing the vaccine.
On September 18 and 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine panel, now with new members appointed by Kennedy, met and changed its recommendation. Instead of advising universal vaccination for everyone over six months old as in prior years, they left the decision up to “individual decision-making.” According to a CDC panel news release dated September 19, “‘Individual decision-making’ is defined as ‘vaccination based on shared clinical decision-making, which references providers including physicians, nurses and pharmacists.’”
Availability of the COVID-19 booster will vary depending on state policies and individual pharmacies. Some people seeking the booster have been denied or told they need a doctor’s prescription, leading to confusion among both pharmacists and customers, according to The Associated Press.
CVS has removed previous state-by-state restrictions and now says the booster should be available nationwide as of September 21. Walgreens offers the shot without a prescription in most states but requires one in Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington D.C., with shots already available there.
In Florida, COVID-19 vaccines will become available at pharmacies once eligibility guidance is issued by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Doctors’ offices should be contacted directly for information about availability and restrictions related to COVID-19 vaccinations.
The CDC panel’s approach means that boosters are covered under federal programs like Vaccines for Children Program, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance plans through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace.
Coverage by private insurance depends on each provider’s policies. America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), representing most major insurers except UnitedHealthcare, announced that its member plans would cover all CDC-recommended vaccines as of September 1—including updated COVID-19 formulations—without cost-sharing through the end of 2026. Large employers may decide independently whether or not to cover the shot this year.
Some state public health officials have chosen different approaches from those recommended by CDC—a first in its history. Officials from several states including California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Minnesota, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island and Wisconsin have made independent statements regarding vaccine policy changes. Their actions range from issuing blanket prescriptions to executive orders requiring insurers to provide coverage.
