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Who Can Get a COVID Vaccine This Year?

There are changes to eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination in 2025, and the CDC may recommend further adjustments. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved COVID-19 vaccines for adults aged 65 and older and for younger people with certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection.

Officials have emphasized that people who want a COVID-19 vaccine can get one after consulting with a doctor; the narrower approval may limit access to shots for some people who were routinely able to get them in the past.

“FDA has now issued marketing authorization for those at higher risk: Moderna (6+ months), Pfizer (5+), and Novavax (12+). These vaccines are available for all patients who choose them after consulting with their doctors,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reported in a post on X recently.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the conditions that put someone at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 include:

1.) Asthma
2.) Blood cancers
3.) Cerebrovascular diseases
4.) Chronic kidney disease
5.) Some chronic lung diseases
6.) Some chronic liver diseases
7.) Cystic Fibrosis
8.) Type 1 and 2 Diabetes
9.) Gestational Diabetes
10.) Disabilities, including Down syndrome
11.) Heart conditions
12.) HIV
13.) Mood disorders, including depression and schizophrenia
14.) Dementia
15.) Parkinson’s disease
16.) Obesity
17.) Physical inactivity
18.) Current or recent pregnancy
19.) Primary immunodeficiencies
20.) Current or former smoking
21.) Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant recipients
22.) Tuberculosis
23.) Use of immunosuppressive drugs

****These conditions (most of them) can affect the immune system in such a significant way that they would inhibit the body’s ability to fight off a COVID infection. That could increase the risk of an infection causing severe illness or death.

Where to find the vaccine?

Pharmacies

–  For those who meet the standards, major pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS are beginning to receive the updated vaccines.

–  You will need to confirm your eligibility during the scheduling process

Health Care Providers

–  This option is necessary for those who still want the vaccine but don’t immediately qualify.

Health Department and Community Centers

–  State and local health departments and centers have access to free vaccines for uninsured individuals.