The answer may depend on your age, insurance coverage, health, and finding a healthcare professional who will administer the shot.
That's because of new federal guidance on who can get the shots, which raises questions about whether pharmacists will provide the shots and if insurers will cover them.
Is the new COVID-19 vaccine available?
The Food and Drug Administration has approved updated 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming fall and winter season.
The new shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax target a newer version of the coronavirus. They are approved for all seniors but only for younger adults and children with at least one underlying health problem, like obesity.
Additionally, U.S. officials revoked use of Pfizer's vaccine in young children. That leaves only Moderna's vaccines for children as young as six months.
What has changed?
The shots were approved for people who are 65 and older and those who are younger and have a health condition that makes them vulnerable to severe COVID-19.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the conditions that put someone at a higher risk of severe Covid-19 include:
Asthma
Blood cancers
Cerebrovascular diseases
Chronic kidney disease
Some chronic lung diseases
Some chronic liver diseases
Cystic fibrosis
Type 1 and 2 diabetes
Gestational diabetes
Disabilities, including Down syndrome
Heart conditions
HIV
Mood disorders, including depression and schizophrenia
Dementia
Parkinson's disease
Obesity
Physical inactivity
Current or recent pregnancy
Primary immunodeficiencies
Current or former smoking
Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant recipients
Tuberculosis
Use of immunosuppressive drugs
Most of these conditions can affect the immune system in such a significant way that they would inhibit the body's ability to fight off a Covid-19 infection, increasing the risk of that infection causing severe illness or death.
"A high proportion of people would qualify for these vaccines even if they're not over 65," said Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Until now, the U.S. - following guidance from independent experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - has recommended yearly COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone age 6 months and older.
But Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired every member of that Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this year. The replacements he selected have yet to make new recommendations.
Do I need a covid vaccine prescription?
The answer to this questions depends on where you live and your health status.
On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order allowing pharmacists to administer the vaccine to patients as young as 3.
Prescriptions are also not required in New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Can I get a shot at CVS, Walgreens, or other pharmacies?t?
Most Americans visit drugstores to get their COVID-19 vaccines, according to the CDC. It's not clear yet how easy that will be this fall, again depending on where you live.
As of Friday morning, CVS Health - the nation's largest drugstore chain - said its pharmacists can provide vaccines without a prescription in 38 states. Prescriptions are required in 11 states plus Washington, D.C., but its pharmacists cannot give the shots in Nevada.
New York had also been on that list, but following action by Governor Hochul on Friday, CVS said COVID-19 vaccinations would be available as soon as possible at all New York locations.
"As soon as we begin offering vaccinations, appointments will be made available viaCVS.comand the CVS Health app. Patients will also be able to walk into our pharmacies and clinics," the company said.
In some states where CVS runs in-store clinics, customers can get vaccinated there even if they can't get a shot at the store pharmacy counter, spokesperson Amy Thibault said. She noted that the pharmacies and clinics are governed by different regulators.
Walgreens says most of its pharmacies are preparing to offer the Covid-19 vaccine where regulations allow as well.
"Walgreens is prepared to offer the vaccine in states where we are able to do so. In accordance with FDA approval and state requirements, we will offer the vaccine to all adults ages 65 years and older, as well as to individuals under 65, who are at higher risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19, as determined by the CDC," a spokesperson said in an email last week.
Most Covid-19 vaccinations in the US have happened at pharmacies. During the 2023-24 respiratory virus season, an estimated 71.5% of shots were given in pharmacies or drug stores, according to CDC data, followed by an estimated 9.2% at clinics or health centers.
Will COVID-19 vaccines be covered by insurance?
For people age 65 and older, the FDA's decision means Medicare will cover the shots.
For everyone else, the answer is still evolving. Check with your insurer or the employer that provides coverage.
Employers and insurers have been covering the full bill for the shots because they have been recommended by ACIP.
Some may continue to do so. Walmart will cover the shots for employees and the health system Kaiser Permanente, which provides coverage for more than 12 million people, says it will keep covering them too.
Can children and pregnant people get the vaccine?
Access may be different for some pregnant people and children.
In May, Kennedy announced major changes to Covid-19 recommendations for children and pregnant women. In updated recommendations, children are able to get the vaccines after consulting with a health care provider, what's known as shared decision-making.
Then, emergency use authorizations for Covid-19 vaccines were rescinded, which means Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, is no longer authorized for children younger than 5. Moderna's Spikevax vaccine is approved for children as young as 6 months, but only if they have an underlying condition that puts them at higher risk. Children who are 12 and older and have at least one underlying condition that puts them at severe risk of severe disease are eligible for Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine, the only protein-based, non-mRNA vaccine available in the US.
The American Academy of Pediatrics broke with the CDC to make a broader recommendation for the Covid-19 vaccine. It says that all children ages 6 months through 23 months should receive a Covid-19 vaccine unless they have known allergies to the vaccine or its ingredients. It also recommends a single dose of the vaccine for children ages 2 through 18 years if they are at high risk of Covid-19, residents of long-term care facilities, have never been vaccinated against Covid-19 or live in a household with people who are high-risk for Covid-19. It also says the vaccine should be available for this age group even if they are not in these risk groups.
AAP President Dr. Susan Kressly said this week's more limited vaccine approvals add "further confusion and stress for parents trying to make the best choices for their children," which could be a barrier to vaccination.
Experiences may vary for people during pregnancy, as well. After the recommendation changes announced by Kennedy, there is no CDC guidance or recommendation for women who are pregnant. Some women reported since the shift that they were unable to get a Covid-19 vaccine.
However, pregnancy or recent pregnancy remain on the list of conditions that put someone at higher risk for severe Covid-19, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently reaffirmed support for Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
Why might the shots still be covered?
They can save money by preventing expensive medical care like hospital stays.
The vaccines can keep workers from getting sick and spreading the virus to colleagues. Companies also are concerned about health care affordability, especially for their lower-paid workers, said Beth Umland, director of health and benefits research for the benefits consultant Mercer.
The shots can cost $150 or more without insurance.
Insurers say they look at more than just that CDC committee's recommendation when deciding coverage. Some also may consider the opinions of doctor groups like the American Medical Association, which strongly encourages vaccinations.
Sorting conflicting opinions
In May, Kennedy - a longtime leader in the anti-vaccine movement - announced COVID-19 vaccines would no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.
Since then, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said pregnant women should continue to get the shots - counter to what Kennedy announced. The American Academy of Pediatrics is continuing to recommend them for all children ages 6 months to 2 years, another contradiction to Kennedy's decision.
Conflicting advice like this has stirred a lot of questions from patients about what guidance they should follow, Groves said.
"There's just a lot of confusion out there," she said. "People are thinking, 'Why should I get it?'"
Do we still need a vaccine?
People who want shots typically seek them in the fall to prepare for a possible winter surge in cases.
The vaccinations are strongly recommended for older people and those with a health condition, said Sax, the Brigham and Women's physician.
Doctors and researchers say most people have some immunity from either previous COVID-19 infections or vaccines. But an annual shot is still a good idea.
The built-up immunity means your body will respond faster to an infection than it did in the pandemic's early days, said Andrew Pekosz, a virus expert at Johns Hopkins University.
That's one reason COVID-19 hospitalizations have gone down, he said.
"Population immunity is high," Pekosz said. "But population immunity isn't perfect, and it does wane over time."
---
Information from the Associated Press, ABC News, and CNN Wire.
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Follow us on YouTube
* More local news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts