COVID-19 Vaccine Awaiting CDC Approval: What You Need to Know
A new recommendation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine suggests that individuals should make their own decision on whether to receive it. However, some uncertainty remains about the vaccine’s availability and approval process.
The current guidance allows anyone over the age of six months to consider receiving the vaccine after consulting with healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or pharmacists.
Victoria Nicolson Hornblower, who supervises the immunization program at Northern Nevada Public Health, indicated that the agency is in a waiting period. “Once it’s approved by the CDC, then the state has a contract, then it takes time for them to distribute it out to us, so we can’t even request it yet, so we’re kind of in a holding pattern,” Hornblower stated. “We are anticipating having everything ready to go for October 1st.”
National pharmacy chain CVS confirmed to KUNR that it is also in the queue for final CDC approval. CVS mentioned that in certain states, including Nevada, they are prepared to offer the vaccine without a prescription following approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recent state regulations.
Meanwhile, Walgreens announced in a statement to KUNR that they will begin nationwide distribution of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines once the acting CDC director approves the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
