"Drugstores are ready to deliver updated COVID-19 vaccines this fall and insurers plan to pay for them, even though the shots no longer come recommended by an important government committee. On Friday, vaccine advisers picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declined to specifically recommend the shots but said people could make individual decisions on whether to get them. The recommendations from the advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require sign-off by the agency's director, but they are almost always adopted."
"The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that the committee vote "provides for immunization coverage through all payment mechanisms." An HHS spokesperson said that includes Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, commercial coverage sold through health insurance marketplaces and the federal Vaccines for Children program, which pays for roughly half of childhood vaccinations in the U.S. each year."
Pharmacies are positioned to provide updated COVID-19 vaccines this fall while insurers and government programs intend to maintain coverage. Vaccine advisers selected by the Health Secretary declined to issue a specific recommendation, allowing individuals to decide whether to receive the shots. Advisory recommendations to the CDC require director sign-off and are typically adopted, which normally drives insurance coverage and pharmacy access. The Department of Health and Human Services said coverage will be provided through all payment mechanisms, including Medicaid, CHIP, marketplace plans and the Vaccines for Children program. Major insurers signaled continued no-cost coverage through 2026.
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