As vaccine season arrives, here’s your annual reminder to get your flu shot, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations. However, for those looking to get their annual Covid vaccine, confusing regulations in the state of New York may make it more difficult than year’s past.
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved an updated fall 2025 Covid vaccine for people 65 and older (a group more vulnerable to the impacts of Covid). Younger people would require an underlying medical condition that puts them at risk.
Moreover, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) still must vote on its recommendation of the 2025 Covid vaccine (an updated vaccination the agency has recommended annually since 2022), scheduled for September 18th. The vote will determine which age groups are recommended to receive the vaccine and influence its accessibility nationwide.
In response to new federal and state regulations, atop unclear CDC guidance, CVS and Walgreens, the nation’s two major pharmacy chains, now require a prescription for the latest Covid vaccine in many states (including New York) even if patients meet eligibility criteria, unless and until the CDC’s advisory panel recommends broad use.
Other states facing restrictions at either CVS or Walgreens include Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, South Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Missouri, Montana, Indiana, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, according to The New York Times.
To clarify, New Yorkers under 65 without a qualifying underlying medical condition will not be able to receive the new Covid vaccine from CVS or Walgreens for the foreseeable future unless they get a prescription from a physician’s office or try their luck at a public health clinic, which may have fewer barriers as the rulings evolve.
CVS and Walgreens are the largest administrators of the Covid vaccine in the U.S. and their new barriers could seriously impact vaccinations rates.
Until the CDC’s advisory panel votes in September, much remains uncertain regarding official Covid vaccine recommendations and who will be able to get the shot this fall.
