Moderna’s shot is approved for those 6 months through 64 years old with an underlying condition and for all adults aged 65 and older.
Pfizer’s shot is approved for those 5 years through 64 years old with an underlying condition and for all adults over age 65.
According to the CDC, underlying conditions placing people at risk for higher risk of severe COVID-19 include but are not limited to cancer, asthma, chronic lung disease, diabetes, heart conditions, mental health conditions and pregnancy.
This season’s COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available in pharmacies, hospitals and clinics across the U.S. in the coming days.
Are the vaccines free?
In previous years, the CDC had a Bridge Access Program that provided free COVID-19 vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs. The program ended in August 2024.
It’s unclear if uninsured individuals will be able to access vaccines through their state or local health department immunization programs this season.
Public health specialists are hopeful that the updated COVID-19 vaccine will be covered at no cost with most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B and Medicaid.
Most insurers have to cover shots recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which evaluates and votes on vaccine use recommendations after the FDA approves or authorizes a vaccine.
However, earlier this year, a federal judge stayed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s appointments to the panel.
“I’m hopeful [insurers] will cover the vaccine because it makes sense for insurance companies to pay for it to prevent as many people from getting seriously ill,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist and associate dean for regional campuses at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News.
