COVID Vaccine Access Now. Here's Who Can Get A Shot This Fall—And Where You Can Get It

The FDA updated its guidance. The agency approved updated COVID shots for this season, but limited who can receive them.

The FDA has updated its latest COVID vaccine guidance to say that only people 65 and older or those at high risk (of any age) should get the vaccine or boosters, but the CDC still needs to weigh in here.

The FDA has authorized COVID vaccines for use in these particular age groups:

Moderna: High-risk people aged 6 months and up
Pfizer: High-risk people aged 5 years and up
Novavax: High-risk people aged 12 years and up

People in the "high risk" group includes those 65 and above, and anyone with an underlying health condition. https://www.cdc.gov/covid/hcp/clinical-care/underlying-conditions.html

Kennedy revoked the guidance recommending pregnant people get boosters.

However, Kennedy did say in a note on X that “these vaccines are available for all patients who choose them after consulting with their doctors.”

Overall, Dr. Adalja says that “any person with a high risk condition is ‘eligible’ for a COVID vaccination.” As for everyone else, it’s not really clear at this moment.

Where can I get a COVID booster or vaccine?
Here’s where things get complicated. For starters, 16 states require CDC recommendations in order for pharmacists to administer the COVID vaccines. (The other 34 states abide by whatever the FDA authorizes.) "That’s a problem,” Dr. Russo says. “For those 16 states, 13 of them will administer the vaccine with a physician’s prescription." Given the fact that most people get their COVID vaccines at pharmacies, this is an important sticking point and potential barrier to getting the vaccine, he adds.

However, you should be able to eventually get the vaccine at your local pharmacy if you qualify—but you may need a prescription.

Is the vaccine still free?
Remember, the vaccine and boosters have historically been free since they started being administered in 2021. So whether people will have to pay out of pocket is also not totally clear right now. “Health insurance coverage for those in the eligible group should be intact, but for others it may vary depending on the insurance company,” Dr. Adalja says. People who don’t have health insurance coverage will have to pay between $140 and $160 per vaccine, according to Dr. Russo. “That’s a lot of money for most people,” he says.

“Commercial insurances will cover whatever the CDC recommends,” Dr. Russo adds. “But there’s a lot of uncertainty.”

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a65969383/covid-vaccine-access-eligibility-new-variant

https://www.axios.com/2025/08/29/cvs-covid-vaccines-kennedy-rfk

Oregon, Washington, California form health care alliance to protect vaccine access
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/09/03/vaccines-oregon-washington-california-cdc/

Massachusetts becomes first state to impose its own vaccine coverage rules
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/04/massachusetts-vaccine-coverage-rules