By Jennifer Calfas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that the agency approved the dialed-back recommendations on Covid-19 shots from its vaccine advisory panel.

Accessing the Covid booster shot might seem a bit more confusing this year. But it is possible many Americans can still receive the updated vaccine this fall.

Here is what to know about getting a Covid vaccine.

Who does the CDC say should get the Covid vaccine?

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices -- a panel handpicked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -- no longer universally recommends the Covid vaccine, advising a more limited guidance than advised by medical groups.

Instead the panel recommended "individual decision-making" for all Americans ages 6 months and older, where patients speak with a healthcare provider, such as a doctor, nurse or pharmacist, about whether they should get the latest Covid vaccine.

"Informed consent is back," Acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill said on Monday. The agency's broader recommendations in the past, he said, "deterred healthcare providers from talking about the risks and benefits of vaccination for the individual patient or parent."

The CDC previously recommended the Covid vaccine for all Americans ages 6 months and older. A number of medical groups and state coalitions released separate Covid vaccine recommendations this year.

So, who can actually get a Covid shot?

In practice, Americans ages 6 months and older should be able to get an updated Covid vaccine if they want it, according to doctors, medical groups and pharmacy chains.

The Food and Drug Administration approved three new Covid vaccines this year for everyone 65 and older, as well as at-risk people in younger populations. The vaccines can be administered off-label.

People likely won't need to obtain a prescription or prove they are at risk for severe infection to get a vaccine, according to experts. That should apply for young children, too.

If you are confused about whether you can get a Covid shot for you or your child, reach out to your doctor, said Dr. Margot Savoy, the chief medical officer of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

"After doing a proper shared decision-making conversation like you would do with any other vaccine, if the parent and/or the patient wants to be vaccinated, they're going to vaccinate them," Savoy said.

What do medical groups recommend?

More states and medical societies are diverging from the CDC and its vaccine advisers to push for broader vaccination against Covid.

Major medical organizations recommend the Covid vaccine for adults, including pregnant women. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended the shots for all children ages 6 months to 23 months -- as well as for individuals ages 2 to 18 if they or people in their household are at high risk for the severe illness or if they have never been vaccinated, among other considerations

A number of states, including newly formed coalitions along the West Coast and in the Northeast, also issued separate vaccination guidance based on recommendations and research from medical societies and other groups.

Can I get my Covid shot at a pharmacy?

Most American adults have been receiving their Covid vaccines at pharmacies -- and large pharmacy chains are still administering them.

CVS pharmacies are offering Covid vaccines without the need for a prescription in every state and Washington, D.C., according to a CVS spokeswoman. Patients will be able to ask pharmacists questions about the vaccine and won't need to attest to high-risk conditions to receive one.

"In simplest terms, if a patient requests the updated Covid-19 vaccine, they will be able to get it," Amy Thibault, a spokeswoman for CVS Health, said.

Walgreens pharmacies nationwide are also offering the Covid vaccine without the need for a prescription, a spokesperson said.

If you can't find a vaccine at your local pharmacy, "be persistent," said Keri Hurley, an associate clinical professor at the University of California, Irvine's School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. "Don't give up when the first pharmacy that you call says they don't have it or they're not sure if they'll be able to get it or be able to give it."

Rules for how and under what guidelines pharmacists administer the Covid vaccine vary by state. Pharmacists can administer Covid vaccines to patients in all states without a prescription under the new guidelines, according to the American Pharmacists Association.

Will my insurance cover Covid vaccines?

Most likely, yes.

The Department of Health and Human Services said Covid vaccines will be covered "through all payment mechanisms," including Medicaid, Medicare, the Vaccines for Children Program, Children's Health Insurance Program and all insurance plans through the federal marketplace.

AHIP, a group representing insurers, said its members will cover vaccines, including the updated Covid shot, recommended by ACIP through Sept. 1 -- before the panel's latest meeting -- through the end of 2026. Insurers typically handle coverage decisions yearly.

Insurers Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and UnitedHealth Group said they would cover the shots.

"Members should talk with their healthcare providers to determine if a vaccine is clinically appropriate," a UnitedHealth Group spokesperson said.

This explanatory article may be periodically updated.

Write to Jennifer Calfas at jennifer.calfas@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 07, 2025 09:40 ET (13:40 GMT)

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