Update on September 4, 2025: A standing order signed today by the WA State Department of Health (DOH) removes a barrier to accessing the COVID vaccine. The standing order authorizes qualified health care professionals, including pharmacists, to administer the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine to people aged 6 months and older, including pregnant people. It will help safeguard the health of our communities ensuring vaccines remain accessible and equitable for everyone in King County. This order, along with the formation of a West Coast Health Alliance, reflects a shared commitment to protect public health through science-based policies.
Whether on vaccines or other public health issues, I want you to know that we remain committed to recommendations based on the best available science in partnership with other experts in the field who share this mission. We will continue to provide updates and navigate these changes with you. Whether on vaccines or other public health issues, I want you to know that we remain committed to recommendations based on the best available science in partnership with other experts in the field who share this mission. We will continue to provide updates and navigate these changes with you. – Dr. Sandra J. Valenciano, Health Officer, Public Health – Seattle & King County
More information about the standing order from WA DOH: Washington State Statewide Standing Order for COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs for the Public
Original post from August 29, 2025:
COVID-19 vaccine recommendations will likely look different this fall, but some fundamental truths about COVID-19 remain unchanged. To learn more, we spoke with Dr. Eric Chow, Chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology & Immunization for Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Trying to keep up with the news about COVID vaccine recommendations right now is a bit like chasing a moving target. What makes this year different from previous ones?
Dr. Eric Chow: You’re not alone if you’re feeling confused. As a parent of two young children, I’ve been eagerly waiting to find out whether my kids will have access to COVID shots this fall.
In a typical year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves COVID-19 vaccines for use. A few weeks later, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) votes on who should get the vaccine, typically at their June meeting. This all makes it possible for your local pharmacy or doctor’s office to start giving shots in the fall.
But this year, the process has been upended. Just this week, the FDA approved updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccine but put limits on who can receive them. The ACIP plans to meet in mid-September to make recommendations about who should receive the updated COVID vaccine.
Various U.S. medical societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have issued their own data-informed recommendations, which continue to emphasize that COVID vaccines work and are safe. These recommendations may influence what insurance companies and employers cover. Ultimately, COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, insurance coverage, and access may vary by state.
Which populations did the FDA approve for vaccination, and what does this mean for access to vaccine?
The FDA approved updated versions of the COVID vaccine only for people ages 65 and older and people who have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk. That’s a much narrower focus than in previous years when vaccination was recommended for all people age 6 months and older.
We’re carefully reviewing the implications of this FDA development. I’m deeply concerned that these additional limits will make it more challenging for people who want to protect themselves to access the vaccine.
Along with our partners at the Washington Department of Health (DOH), our goal remains the same: to ensure that vaccine policy, including COVID vaccine recommendations, is guided by the best available science and supports the health and safety of everyone in our community.
What’s Public Health’s COVID vaccine recommendation, and what’s the rationale?
In alignment with DOH, we continue to emphasize that COVID vaccines are safe and they continue to prevent severe illness and reduce the risk of long COVID. Currently, we recommend COVID vaccination for everyone ages 6 months and older, including pregnant people. COVID remains a real health concern, especially for those who are older or have underlying health conditions that put them at high risk.
I’m also very concerned about unvaccinated people, including babies who haven’t yet had an opportunity to be vaccinated. We’ve come a long way since the height of the pandemic, in large part because we have greater community immunity from vaccinations and previous infections. But for people without immune protection, the risk of severe illness remains high.
It’s been almost five years since COVID vaccines first became available. That’s five years of observing, learning, and refining, built on decades of research beforehand. COVID vaccines remain our best protection against severe illness and long COVID.
You mentioned that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued their own set of recommendations. Can you tell us a little more about those?
Both of these medical societies re-emphasize the importance of COVID vaccinations, especially for those at greatest risk for severe disease. Let’s break it down by population:
- Kids: The AAP recommends vaccination for all children ages 6 to 23 months, a group that continues to be at the highest risk for severe disease. They also recommend vaccination for high-risk children and kids living with someone who is high-risk. Notably, the AAP also recommends that COVID vaccines should be available for children ages 2-18 whose parent or guardian wants them to be protected, regardless of risk status.
- Pregnant people: ACOG recommends vaccination at any point during pregnancy, when planning a pregnancy, after birth, or while breastfeeding. That’s because the benefits of vaccination are so profound for both parent and baby. Vaccination reduces the risk of preterm birth, stillbirth, and severe illness in the pregnant person. It also gives the developing baby protection in the first 6 months of life when they’re too young to get vaccinated.
Let’s get to the big questions on many people’s minds: “Will I be able to get a COVID-19 shot this fall? And is it going to cost me anything?”
Let me speak from my perspective as a parent. I’ve got a 4-month old who’s too young to get her first dose of COVID vaccine right now. That means she’s vulnerable to COVID complications.
For me and many others, the answer right now is unsatisfying. Like the rest of the nation, we’re in a holding pattern at the moment, waiting for more information about what access will look like. And if available, what will the cost be to our families?
Insurance companies are required to cover vaccines that are recommended by ACIP. Once the ACIP issues recommendations for the 2025-26 vaccine, we’ll know more about which populations will definitely have coverage. Some insurers and employers may still cover the COVID-19 vaccine for additional populations, even if those groups aren’t included in ACIP’s official recommendations.
Public Health remains committed to equitable access. We’ll be working with the Washington Department of Health and other partners to improve access for those with the most vulnerabilities and biggest barriers wherever possible.
What about the other vaccines recommended during respiratory illness season: flu and RSV?
Flu and RSV vaccines will look similar to past respiratory illness seasons. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone six months and older. Most healthcare providers who vaccinate kids will start to have flu doses sometime in September.
Immunizations for RSV are recommended for infants, children at high-risk for RSV, pregnant people, high-risk adults ages 50 and older, and all adults ages 75 and older.
If you’re a details person, check out this table from the Common Health Coalition. It’s a summary of the latest changes to RSV, flu, and COVID recommendations across key populations.
Thanks, Dr. Chow. Is there anything else you’d like the community to know?
In this time of ongoing uncertainty around COVID vaccines, I want people to know that Public Health remains committed to recommendations based on the best available science in partnership with other experts in the field who share this mission. While the landscape is increasingly complex, we will continue to provide updates and navigate these changes with you.
So stay tuned. When we have more information about COVID vaccine recommendations, availability, and cost, we’ll be back here to share it with you.
Originally published 8/29/2025