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COVID cases climb amid vaccine uncertainty: 5 notes

09/03/2025|Source Author|

As the number of COVID-19 cases begin to increase, there have been shifts in the vaccine landscape, especially regarding updated COVID-19 shots. Through the week ending Aug. 23, 11.2% of the 37,732 tested were positive for COVID-19, an increase from 9.9% the previous week, according to the CDC’s latest data. 

Here are five notes:

  1. Normally in late summer, the FDA approves new COVID-19 vaccine formulas and the CDC finalizes its recommendations regarding who should receive them. However, in June HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overhauled the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices by appointing all new members, some who have a history of anti-vaccine rhetoric. 

    “This usual chain of decisions…has been disrupted,” Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, and epidemiologist who follows respiratory virus trends, told Politico in an Aug. 22 report. “And without clarity and coordination, millions may not be able to have clear access to COVID vaccines, and that could potentially impact hospitalizations and deaths.” 

  2. On Aug. 27, the FDA rescinded emergency use authorizations for COVID vaccines and granted full approvals for updated shots targeting newer strains, with limits. Moderna’s vaccine is approved for individuals 6 months and older, Pfizer’s for those five years and older and Novavax for individuals 12 years and older. All approvals are limited to individuals at high risk for severe illness, including those 65 years and older with at least one condition that puts them at high risk for severe disease.
  3. Pharmacists, who administered nearly 90% of COVID-19 shots during the 2024-2025 season, are navigating new rules. In 18 states and Washington, D.C., their authority to administer vaccinations is tied to guidance from the CDC’s ACIP. Without the recommendation, providers in the jurisdictions may not be able to administer new COVID shots.
  4. CVS Pharmacy told CBS News that it is not allowed to vaccinate individuals even with a prescription in Massachusetts, Nevada and New Mexico due to state laws. There are 34 states where CVS said it can administer the vaccine without a prescription and in the remaining 16, CVS can provide a vaccine depending on the patient’s age and if there’s a prescription from an authorized provider. Walgreens told the news outlet it is “prepared to offer vaccine in states where we are able to do so.”
  5. Under federal law, insurers are required to cover vaccines recommended by the CDC’s ACIP without any out-of-pocket costs. However, with no formal recommendation issues yet, coverage for individuals outside of the FDA’s narrow high-risk criteria may depend on their individual insurance plans. 

The post COVID cases climb amid vaccine uncertainty: 5 notes appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.

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