Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news What We Know and Don’t Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility
  • Local news

What We Know and Don’t Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility

    What we know -- and don't know -- about who will be able to get COVID-19 shots
    Up next
    Netanyahu announces the death of Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar amid Gaza casualties exceeding 54,000
    Published on 28 May 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • Able,
    • about,
    • Ajay Sethi,
    • and,
    • COVID19,
    • Don039t,
    • get,
    • health,
    • Jen Kates,
    • know,
    • Robert F. Kennedy Jr,
    • shots,
    • U.S. news,
    • Washington news,
    • What,
    • who,
    • will
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    Want a COVID-19 vaccination this fall? For many Americans, it’s not clear how easy it will be to get one – or if they’ve lost the choice.

    Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former prominent figure in the anti-vaccine movement, announced this week that vaccinations are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. This announcement is traditionally determined by scientific experts rather than government officials.

    The announcement follows an earlier Trump administration step to limit COVID-19 vaccinations among healthy people under age 65.

    Previously, the United States followed recommendations from independent advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggesting annual COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone over the age of 6 months.

    Together, the moves have left health experts, vaccine makers and insurers uncertain about what to advise and what comes next.

    “It’s going to add a lot of confusion overall,” said Ajay Sethi, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

    How can I get a COVID-19 shot for myself or my healthy child?

    Some supply of this season’s vaccine remains available. Experts in the insurance field state that if individuals were covered before Kennedy’s announcement, it’s improbable that coverage would have ceased immediately after his public statement. Therefore, those who locate a vaccine dose are likely still able to receive it for now.

    Will I still be able to choose a shot in the fall for myself or my child?

    Who will be able to get what vaccines this fall is still unclear.

    Vaccine manufacturers plan to issue updated COVID-19 shots in the late summer or fall. But the Food and Drug Administration has said it plans to limit approval of seasonal shots to seniors and others at high risk, pending more studies of everyone else.

    Even if the U.S. approves vaccines only for certain groups, it still may be possible for others to get the shot depending on the outcome of upcoming advisory meetings, regulatory moves and decisions from insurers and employers.

    Will my insurance still pay?

    Insurers base coverage decisions on the recommendations of that CDC panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. It’s not clear what role that panel now will play. Paying out of pocket could cost about $200.

    But some insurers and employers may decide to still cover the shots regardless of the new recommendations, said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at the non-profit KFF, which studies health care issues. She noted that they may view the expense as worthwhile if it avoids a higher bill from someone hospitalized by the coronavirus.

    What’s considered increased risk?

    The FDA published a list of health conditions it said would qualify, including asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. The CDC has a more extensive list.

    But, again, it isn’t yet known how this will play out. For example, it could be hard for people to prove they’re qualified. If they’re vaccinated at a drugstore, for instance, the pharmacist wouldn’t normally know about underlying health problems or even ask. Kates said it’s unclear whether Kennedy’s move would affect whether doctors recommend the shot.

    And Sethi, the UW-Madison expert, said “this elephant in the room” is that blocking vaccination to the healthy may mean people who have a risk factor and simply don’t know it will miss out.

    Adding to the confusion, the FDA included pregnancy and recent pregnancy on the list of conditions that would qualify someone for a shot — but Kennedy said that pregnancy was no longer a qualification in his announcement this week.

    COVID-19 complications during pregnancy can include preterm birth as well as serious illness in the mother, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said it “strongly reaffirms” its recommendation for vaccination during pregnancy.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Washington, DC, city council special election
    • Local news

    DC City Council Special Election: Key Insights and Expectations

    WASHINGTON – A special election is taking place in southeast Washington, D.C.,…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    One injured, lane closed in I-57 rollover crash in Douglas Co.
    • Local news

    Illinois State Police Celebrates Largest Cadet Graduation in 25 Years

    SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois State Police celebrated the graduation of Cadet…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Speaker Johnson says he's open to Russia sanctions bill
    • Local news

    Speaker Johnson Indicates Openness to Russia Sanctions Bill

    Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday left the door open to holding…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Looking for a job? An AI recruiter might interview you next
    • Local news

    AI Recruiters: The Future of Job Interviews

    Wafa Shafiq, a 26-year-old Canadian marketing professional and lifestyle influencer, has been…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Trump will make Powell replacement decision at 'appropriate time'
    • Local news

    Trump to Decide on Powell’s Replacement at the ‘Right Time’

    () Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought sidestepped a question…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    T-Mobile scraps DEI while awaiting deal approvals from FCC
    • Local news

    T-Mobile Halts DEI Initiatives Amid FCC Deal Approval Process

    () T-Mobile will eliminate its diversity, equity and inclusion programs as it…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Fifth defendant in U of I pro-Palestine protest pleads guilty
    • Local news

    Fifth Participant in University of Iowa Pro-Palestine Protest Enters Guilty Plea

    URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A second individual involved in the disturbances at…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Long County Sheriff's Office investigating Friday morning shooting
    • Local news

    Long County Sheriff’s Department Probing Friday Morning Shooting Incident

    LONG COUNTY, Ga. () — The Long County Sheriff’s Office is investigating…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Texas flood: After searching all week, family told that loved ones died
    • Local news

    Texas Flood Tragedy: Family Informed of Loved Ones’ Deaths After Extensive Search

    KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Ryen Brake and his father Robert have…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Will Orlando get an underground transit system? Here’s what we know
    • Local news

    Is Orlando Planning to Build an Underground Transit System? Here’s the Latest Information

    ORLANDO, Fla. – Speculation is swirling about a new “Loop” coming to…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Detainees describe worms in food, sewage near beds inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
    • Local news

    Inmates Report Unsanitary Conditions with Worms in Food and Sewage by Beds at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Facility

    MIAMI – There have been reports of worms found in the food,…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Cambodian sites of Khmer Rouge brutality added to UNESCO heritage list
    • Local news

    UNESCO Recognizes Cambodian Khmer Rouge Sites as Heritage Landmarks

    PHNOM PENH – UNESCO has added three sites to its World Heritage…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Playdate’s second season sucked me back into the little yellow handheld
    • Tech

    Playdate’s Second Season Excitedly Draws Me Back to the Charming Yellow Console

    The Playdate’s distinctive feature is its seasonal format. When the handheld…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    AC/DC’s Smash Returns To Its All-Time Peak Globally
    • Business

    AC/DC’s Hit Climbs Back to Global Peak

    AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” returns to its all-time peak of No. 169 on the…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Revealed: Air India pilots' final words to before tragic crash
    • News

    Uncovered: Last Words of Air India Pilots Before Tragic Crash

    The final words exchanged by the Air India pilots before the crash,…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    ‘River of Angels’ memorial rises in Kerrville as flood victims remembered
    • US

    “‘River of Angels’ Memorial Erected in Kerrville to Honor Flood Victims”

    KERR COUNTY, TEXAS – Over the past 72 hours, an expanding tribute…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.