Have you gotten this year's COVID vaccine?

An illustration of a repeating pattern of COVID vaccine vials — Are you a person based in the U.S. who has tried to get the COVID vaccine this year? We want to hear from you. (Image credit: Yulia Reznikov via Getty Images)

Each fall, updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccines come out around the same time as the annual flu shot. And just like the flu shot, these updated COVID vaccines are formulated to protect against virus strains that people are more likely to encounter in the coming months, as opposed to strains that were rampant the year prior.

But this year, the hunt for an updated COVID vaccine may be fraught.

In August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance limiting the groups that are recommended to get the updated shot: Only people ages 65 or older or those who are at least 6 months old with one underlying health condition that increases their risk of a severe COVID infection are covered. Those outside these two groups may have to consult a doctor to get a prescription before seeking a COVID shot, and even then, it might not be covered by their insurance. The situation is confusing, and the picture varies from state to state.

Some states are already breaking from the federal guidance. For instance, Minnesota and New York have issued executive orders to try and expand their residents' access to the shots, and New Jersey's health department has issued a directive with the same intent. Oregon, Washington, California and Hawaii have formed an alliance to provide their residents with unified recommendations on vaccines, although they've yet to issue details on the 2025-2026 COVID shots.

—'We have basically destroyed what capacity we had to respond to a pandemic,' says leading epidemiologist Michael Osterholm

—What are mRNA vaccines, and how do they work?

—'These decisions were completely reckless': Funding cuts to mRNA vaccines will make America more vulnerable to pandemics

Nicoletta Lanese is the health channel editor at Live Science and was previously a news editor and staff writer at the site. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from UC Santa Cruz and degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida. Her work has appeared in The Scientist, Science News, the Mercury News, Mongabay and Stanford Medicine Magazine, among other outlets. Based in NYC, she also remains heavily involved in dance and performs in local choreographers' work.

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