FDA changing COVID vaccine guidelines. An NC doctor says who can still get it
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The FDA will stop annual COVID vaccines for many people under age 65 this fall.
- Eligibility will be tied to specific medical conditions like asthma, HIV and pregnancy.
- Vaccines remain free for people 65+ and others who meet the updated health risk criteria.
A new study from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials outlines new COVID-19 vaccine guidance, which is expected to go into effect this fall.
This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and written by Director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Dr. Vinay Prasad and FDA Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary. Both doctors said the American policy surrounding COVID boosters is the “most aggressive” compared to other countries.
The new guidelines, published on Tuesday, May 20, say only certain people will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but the rules won’t go into effect until the fall. The specific date is unclear.
Here’s what you need to know.
Who can get a COVID vaccine?
The FDA will no longer recommend annual COVID vaccinations for healthy people younger than 65. This means that if you are under 65 and considerably healthy, you will not be eligible to receive the yearly vaccine.
Until the new guidance was published on May 20, it was recommended everyone over 6 months old receive an annual COVID vaccine and subsequent boosters. Those under 65 with certain qualifying medical conditions are still eligible for the vaccine. Those conditions include (but are not limited to):
- Cancer
- Asthma
- HIV
- Diabetes
- Chronic lung diseases
- Smoking
- Pregnancy
COVID vaccine requirements
A North Carolina doctor says that most Americans will still be eligible to receive shots through the list.
“The list is quite extensive. It includes depression, mood disorders and even physical inactivity,” Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease expert with UNC Health, told The News & Observer in a phone interview on Tuesday. “Most people will be eligible to receive this vaccine based on the average American’s lifestyle.”
A spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said the agency is waiting for specific recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before making sweeping recommendations for North Carolina households.
Wohl recommends reading the list of qualifying conditions to see if you are eligible to receive the vaccination.
“I do feel like they’re crossing off that option for people willing to make that decision. .... And you know what. I’d rather take it every year. Personally, for me, I would like to get the vaccine very year,” Wohl said.
For more information, including a list of qualifying medical conditions, visit nejm.org
Can children get a COVID vaccine?
Yes, if they are considered eligible through the list of approved health conditions.
Children without conditions listed will not be eligible for the annual COVID vaccine.
Can healthy adults get a COVID vaccine?
Wohl advises people to take a look at the list of underlying health conditions to see if they qualify.
He also encourages expressing concerns to elected officials if you are in disagreement with these new guidelines.
Are COVID vaccines still free?
COVID vaccines will still be free for those 65 and older, and all others who fall under the latest eligibility requirements.
Those who do not qualify will not have insurance cover the cost of their vaccine, the new guidelines say.
New COVID vaccine requirements
The New England Journal of Medicine says the FDA changed its COVID vaccine guidelines to follow suit with other high income countries.
“Most other countries don’t have recommendations or approval for the vaccines in healthy people less than 65 years of age annually,” Wohl said.
In the study, the authors disagree with the current policy on vaccinations, saying that Americans understand “age- and risk- based recommendations.”
“The United States has adopted a one-size-fits-all regulatory framework and has granted broad marketing authorization to all Americans over the age of 6 months,” the study says.
Latest COVID strain
The new variant of COVID (NB.1.8.1) that started in China has now been identified across the United States, CBS News reported.
The latest strain’s symptoms are “broadly similar to those seen in earlier strains of the virus,” Subhash Verma, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, told CBS News.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 1:31 PM with the headline "FDA changing COVID vaccine guidelines. An NC doctor says who can still get it."