The Trump administration, under the direction of HHS secretary and longtime anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., continues to restrict access to COVID vaccines. On Wednesday, Kennedy announced that the FDA was approving COVID shots from Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax for use this fall — but with significant new limitations on who can easily get them. Here’s what to know.
Everyone can’t get an annual COVID booster anymore
Under pre-Trump administration U.S. policy, COVID shots were authorized and recommended for all Americans ages 6 months or older. That’s over.
Seniors and people with high-risk health conditions can still get COVID shots
Anyone who is over the age of 65 or has a health condition that puts them at higher risk for serious complications from COVID will have access to COVID shots. For seniors, that access is automatic. But for people with high-risk health conditions, they’ll most likely need to prove they have them first via a medical provider.
Parents’ options for getting their kids COVID vaccines are now more limited
The FDA has revoked the emergency authorization for COVID vaccines for children. That means that Pfizer’s shot will no longer be authorized for children under the age of 5. Moderna’s vaccine is authorized for anyone age 6 months or older, and the Novavax vaccine is authorized for anyone 12 and over. But all three shots are authorized only for people under 65 who have high-risk health conditions.
Healthy kids over 6 months and under 18 years old are only eligible for COVID vaccines if a medical provider is consulted first.
Which health conditions make someone eligible?
Kennedy didn’t confirm the list, but there are dozens of health conditions with higher risk for complications from COVID currently listed on the CDC website. We don’t yet know if that will be the final list moving forward. The FDA has previously estimated that as many as 60 percent of Americans may have at least one of those conditions.
Can healthy people still choose to get a COVID vaccine or booster?
Yes, but nowhere near as easily as before. They’ll need to get a medical provider’s sign-off first, and we don’t know how insurance companies will handle that.
Are pregnant women still eligible for COVID vaccines?
The CDC lists pregnancy as one of the underlying health conditions that puts someone at higher risk for complications from COVID, though Kennedy hasn’t yet confirmed which medical conditions are on the approved list under these new guidelines. The CDC already controversially withdrew its recommendation that pregnant women get the vaccine earlier this year.
Are healthy people who live with people with high-risk health conditions eligible for the COVID vaccines?
No; they can only get access to the vaccines if prescribed off-label by a medical provider.
Do the approved vaccines work against the latest COVID variants?
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have both been updated to target the newer LP.8.1 variant, which is the strain that now accounts for roughly a third of recent COVID cases. The Novavax vaccine targets the JN.1 strain, which was dominant last year.
When will the updated vaccines be available?
Very soon. Moderna and Pfizer both say they are shipping their updated formulas immediately following the FDA approval. Novavax’s shot won’t be available until the early fall.
Are COVID vaccines still safe?
Yes.
Physician groups have been pushing back and making their own recommendations
Now that the HHS, CDC, and FDA are stacked with vaccine skeptics, multiple medical organizations have been pushing back with their own recommendations, which differ from the Trump administration’s, as NBC News reports:
In a notable departure, major medical organizations have come out with their own vaccine recommendations in recent weeks. Usually, these groups follow the CDC’s guidance. Last week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued guidance recommending the Covid vaccine — as well as flu and RSV vaccines — for pregnant women. The American Academy of Pediatrics published its own vaccination schedule earlier this month, which included the Covid vaccine. On Tuesday, the American College of Cardiology endorsed Covid, flu and RSV vaccines for people with heart disease.
There will be insurance and access implications
As the Associated Press reports, the new policy could have a dramatic impact on how easy it is for countless Americans to access COVID vaccines and boosters moving forward, particularly if the CDC advisory panel — which Kennedy has now stacked with vaccine skeptics — doesn’t advise widespread vaccination:
Depending on the panel’s advice, Americans under age 65 could be expected to provide documentation of a serious medical condition before they can get a shot. Complicating the rollout is the fact that pharmacists — who administer most COVID-19 shots — typically aren’t expected to collect that kind of information. And laws governing their ability to administer routine vaccinations vary by state, where pharmacists are licensed. Many states limit vaccinations by pharmacists to those recommended by the CDC panel.
Access could also be complicated for healthy adults and children who are interested in getting a shot for extra protection. If the latest vaccines aren’t covered by their insurance, those patients could be required to pay $150 or more out of pocket if they want one. If they aren’t considered considered high-risk, they also might also have to find a doctor or other health professional willing to give the shot “off label.”
