The Beacon: Who can get an updated COVID vaccine and what will it cost? Kansas City doctors say that's still uncertain
By Suzanne King
Dr. Jennifer Mellick, a pediatrician in Olathe, still doesn’t know which of her patients will be getting an updated COVID shot this year.
Like other doctors around the country, she is waiting to see what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its vaccine advisory committee recommend. And how that will influence what government and private insurance plans end up covering.
The Food and Drug Administration licensed the 2025-26 vaccine on Aug. 27, saying its use should be limited to people 65 and older or to younger people with health conditions that put them at risk of more severe illness.
When the CDC gives its final approval, observers said, it is likely that access to the vaccine, which has previously been recommended for virtually everyone on an annual basis, will be restricted. That means insurance plans may stop covering it for people who fall outside the government guidelines.
Where to get a shot if you don’t qualify
Like most health care providers, Dr. Yvette Guislain, an internal medical doctor with Sunflower Medical Group in Roeland Park, wants patients to have access to the vaccine even if they don’t meet the new FDA guidelines. She pledged to make it available in her office for patients who don’t have other options for getting it.
“I would encourage them to get it if they felt like they’’e in any situation that puts them or others at risk,” Guislain said.
Other physician practices, including those affiliated with KU and St. Luke’s Health System, said they also would offer the COVID vaccine in various clinics and pharmacies. They encouraged patients to discuss risk factors and their need for the shot with their medical providers.
Dr. Angela Myers, a pediatrician at Children’s Mercy, said her hospital will be providing the vaccine to “all children who want it” based on recommendations put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The academy recommendations diverge from the CDC, by continuing to recommend the vaccine for infants aged 6 to 23 months and for older children.
“We will try to make sure we have enough on hand to meet demand and will provide it in the clinics and in the hospital as we have in the past,” Myers said in a written statement.
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