The start of September and back-to-school time means respiratory virus season is here — an important time for vaccinations and other health protocols to keep folks healthy throughout the colder months.
Vaccination remains an important way to stay well in the fall and winter, and the latest COVID-19 shots are now available at pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens, throughout the country. The shots have been updated to target the circulating COVID variant JN.1.
There is some COVID-19 vaccination confusion after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disbanded the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises on vaccine recommendations and determines which vaccines insurance plans will pay for.
ACIP hasn’t met this year due to ongoing litigation, but the COVID-19 vaccines should be available at no cost under most insurance plans, according to a CVS press release and a Walgreens press release.
A CVS spokesperson said people in Louisiana need a prescription for their COVID shot, but no prescription is needed outside of that state. Walgreens is not requiring prescriptions in any state.
Here’s who should consider the new COVID shot:
Exactly who benefits most from the shot isn’t as straightforward as, say, the flu shot, which is recommended for everyone 6 months and older.
“The recommendations right now are really targeting the most vulnerable groups of people,” said Dr. Michael Angarone, an infectious diseases specialist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.
“Unlike previous years, the CDC has not posted any updated guidance on COVID vaccination,” said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, senior infectious disease physician at Mass General Brigham in Boston. “But there are official recommendations that have come out on respiratory virus immunization more generally by a group of the professional organizations.”
The 2026-2027 immunization recommendations were put out by the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Vaccine Integrity Project, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. (Kuritzkes is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)
“Their recommendations essentially mirror what have previously been the guidance from CDC,” Kuritzkes said.
It is recommended that older adults (65 and up) get a COVID vaccine, Kuritzkes noted. Moreover, any adult under 65 who has a “pre-existing medical condition that predisposes to severe COVID, and that would include things like heart disease, lung disease, obesity, diabetes, and being immunocompromised … all those are reasons for people to receive an updated COVID vaccine.”
“Pregnant women should also get an updated COVID vaccine, and the vaccines are safe to give during pregnancy,” Kuritzkes said.
Pregnant people, especially in their last trimester, are at higher risk for severe COVID, he noted.
“And then young children are also recommended to get the vaccine, and that’s children 6 months to 23 months,” said Kuritzkes, before adding that young children likely need to get the vaccine at the pediatrician and not at a pharmacy.
Under these guidelines, it is also recommended that adults 19 to 64 who do not have an underlying medical condition get the COVID vaccine.
“I have to say that when you look at the data for the last several years, while vaccines are beneficial, the degree of benefit is relatively modest because most healthy adults under age 65 already have pretty good COVID immunity,” Kuritzkes said.
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“And even if the strain is a little different, they’re unlikely to get seriously ill, and so I think it’s a more personal decision for that large group of people,” Kuritzkes noted.
Children ages 2 to 18 with underlying conditions such as asthma or cystic fibrosis should also get the vaccine. There is not “a specific recommendation for routine [COVID] vaccination” for kids in that age group who do not have underlying conditions, added Kuritzkes.
But if parents want the shot for their kids without underlying conditions, it should be offered.
“I think it’s all about protecting ourselves, and we know the vaccines, COVID and the flu vaccine, when we get them, we’re less likely to get severe disease,” said Angarone.
“So that’s how I think of the vaccine and why everyone should get vaccinated,” Angarone noted.
“We should also be thinking about protecting other people because when we do get vaccinated, we’re less likely to get infected, although we still can, and we’re not going to harbor the virus for as long, so we’re less likely to spread it to as many people,” said Angarone.
COVID vaccination also helps reduce the likelihood of long COVID.
“I recommend all my patients get vaccinated for COVID, just like getting the influenza vaccine,” said Angarone.
Here’s when you should get your COVID shot.
Now that COVID shots are available, Angarone recommends that people start getting the shot in mid-September, toward the end of September or into October. “That’s when we start to see the increase in cases of COVID,” said Angarone.
It also allows people to gain protection before the holiday season and colder weather when people (and germs) move indoors.
Many people became infected with COVID at the end of the summer. If that’s you, you can wait three months after your infection to get your shot, but that isn’t required.
COVID waves aren’t seasonal, and the virus tends to increase in the fall and again in the winter, which means there isn’t one right time to get the COVID shot, said Kuritzkes.
“The most convenient is to get it at the same time that you get your flu vaccine, because it means just one visit to the pharmacy or to your healthcare provider,” Kuritzkes said.
“The other alternative is to get the COVID vaccine at any time now that it’s become available, and then you get your flu vaccine … towards the end of September or any time throughout October,” Kuritzkes noted.
It’s best to get the flu shot before the end of October, but you can get it any time during flu season, he said.
“I think September to early October is probably the best time to think about getting vaccinated,” added Angarone.
The side effects should be largely the same as past COVID shots.
The COVID vaccine is a little different this year than previous years. Again, it has been updated to target one strain of COVID-19: JN.1, said Angarone. The fact that it targets one strain makes it a monovalent vaccine instead of a bivalent vaccine that targets multiple strains (most previous COVID shots have been bivalent), he added.
Since this vaccine is a little different, the side effects could be a little different, too, said Angarone.
“My guess is it’s going to be pretty similar, if not less side-effect-prone,” said Angarone.
The short-term side effects include pain in the arm for a few days, potentially some fever, chills and muscle aches, said Kuritzkes.
“It is short-lived, doesn’t lead to any long-term health consequences,” said Kuritzkes, “and symptoms are almost always easily managed just with some acetaminophen or ibuprofen.”
COVID shots are safe and have been received by millions of people, said Kuritzkes.
“If people have any concerns about that, they should talk with their healthcare provider,” Kuritzkes noted.
The vaccine recommendations do target the folks who are at higher risk of severe COVID, but “ultimately, everyone should be offered and should get the COVID vaccine,” said Angarone.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from getting sick this season.