For some, fall Covid shots may come with copays — or no coverage at all | Where Do We Stand on …

Explore the latest developments concerning For some, fall.

For some, fall Covid shots may come with copays — or no coverage at all

If you’re in good health and plan to get a Covid shot this fall, you might end up with an unwelcome surprise: a bill.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the next round of Covid shots soon, but only for a smaller, high-risk group — adults 65 and older and people with underlying health conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is likely to follow suit, limiting its recommendation on who should get the shots to the same groups. (The CDC currently recommends Covid vaccination for everyone 6 months and older.)

The change, experts say, could affect what insurers are willing to cover for everyone else who doesn’t fall under a high-risk group.

Where Do We Stand on COVID Vaccine Recommendations in 2025?

This edition of Medicine Matters takes a closer look at the future of COVID vaccines for fall 2025. The current status of COVID vaccines can be best described as unclear. There is confusion, conflicts of interest, and chaos. A lot has happened, so here is a brief recap of major developments over the past few months.

On May 22, the FDA announced the new COVID vaccine formula, a monovalent JN.1 lineage — preferably using the LP.8.1 strain. 

On May 16, the FDA fully licensed the Novavax COVID vaccine but limited its use to those 65 or older, and to those aged 12-64 years with at least one high-risk medical condition. Later in May, these same restrictions were applied to the approval of Moderna's new lower-dose mRNA COVID vaccine, mNEXSPIKE.

What vaccines can, and should, I get this fall? Colorado state doctor weighs in

As the Department of Health and Human Services makes sweeping changes to policy under the direction of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the routine annual vaccine review and approval process has become clouded with doubt and uncertainty. 

Colorado hasn’t waited for the air to clear. Colorado lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year along party lines, later signed into law by the governor, which directs the state’s board of health to take into consideration recommendations from other high-profile doctors' groups, not just the CDC panel — the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or ACIP — whose membership was overhauled under RFK.

For more detailed information and comprehensive insights, explore recent updates concerning For some, fall.

For more news, visit: For more news…