Update on COVID-19 2025–2026 Vaccines
Update from September 23, 2025
Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices Votes To Limit Access To COVID-19 Vaccines
The New York Times reported the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices “voted unanimously on Friday to further limit access to Covid vaccines,” recommending “that adults 65 and older receive the shots only after discussing the potential benefits and risks with a health care provider.” The panel also said that everyone between 6 months and 64 years old could get the vaccine after consulting with a provider. The two decisions “raise questions about whether Americans can continue to walk into their neighborhood pharmacies for routine vaccinations or whether in some states they will first need a doctor’s permission.” While the approved recommendations “were less restrictive than many had expected,” they will still “make it more difficult for pharmacists in some states to administer the shots to older adults.”
The AP reported that in addition to “declining to recommend” COVID-19 vaccines to anyone, the panel “also urged the CDC to adopt stronger language around claims of vaccine risks, despite pushback from outside medical groups who said the shots had a proven safety record from the billions of doses administered worldwide. The divided panel narrowly avoided urging states to require a prescription for the shot.” The actions come after the FDA had already “placed new restrictions on this year’s shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax, reserving them for people over 65 or younger ones who are deemed at higher risk from the virus.”
Reuters reported ACIP “earlier on Friday abandoned a vote that would have delayed the first hepatitis B vaccine dose for newborns, giving a temporary win to doctors, public health experts and patient advocates who had decried the move.” Meanwhile, AHIP, the insurance industry lobbying group, “said it stood by its comment earlier this week that it would cover COVID vaccines through 2026.”
Update from September 11, 2025
Below and linked here is the latest provider letter from VDH Health Commissioner, Dr. Karen Shelton. The standing order that has been put in place expands the ability for pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines to adults 18-64 years of age who do not have an underlying health condition. Underlying condition has not yet been defined. There are currently no guidelines for anyone under 18 years of age. There will be a CDC meeting held this Wednesday (9/17/25) where more guidelines will be put forth.
Please ensure that you stay current as things will continue to change. MSV will keep our news page as current as possible, but please be sure to check the Health Department site regularly as well. If you have any questions, please contact the MSV Government Affairs Team at [email protected].
Dear Colleague,
This letter provides important updates about the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine.
On August 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines for adults 65 years of age and older and certain individuals under 65 years of age who have at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet on September 18–19, 2025. It is anticipated that the ACIP will discuss recommendations for the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine and offer its recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to include its Immunization Schedule. Until then, challenges exist for patients seeking to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine from a pharmacy. Therefore, I have issued a Statewide Standing Order authorizing pharmacists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to adults consistent with FDA indication.
This statewide standing order will facilitate adults accessing the COVID-19 vaccine within pharmacies across the Commonwealth. Minors and adults between 18 and 64 who do not have an underlying condition should consult with their healthcare provider. Currently, a pharmacist may not administer a COVID-19 vaccine to these populations without a healthcare provider’s medical authorization.
Thank you for partnering with VDH to keep Virginians safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Karen Shelton, MD
State Health Commissioner
