05/20/2025

FDA to Limit COVID Shot Approval to Elderly, the Immunocompromised

The new guidelines indicate updated vaccines likely available in the fall

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled plans Tuesday to narrow its approval for updated coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines to older adults and people with at least one health condition that puts them at high risk for severe disease, marking a significant shift in the agency's approach to green-lighting the shots.

The new guidelines indicate that updated vaccines will probably be available in the fall for Americans over the age of 65, as well as those older than 6 months who have at least one condition putting them at higher risk of severe illness, as well as people with conditions such as asthma, diabetes, cancer and obesity, in addition to pregnant women. Top FDA leaders estimate more than 100 million Americans would be eligible for the shots under the new framework. In past years, the COVID vaccine shots have been broadly recommended, including to children and otherwise generally healthy Americans.

It was not immediately clear if healthy people under 65 would be able to get the shots or whether insurers would pay for them if so. Health experts said that whether individuals outside those risk groups would have to pay out of pocket for COVID shots depends on how the guidelines are written.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.