CVS Suspends COVID-19 Vaccinations in 16 States Amid CDC Turmoil

August 29, 2025 (WOONSOCKET, R.I.) - Nationwide pharmacy chain CVS announced today that it will defer offering the newly approved 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine in 16 states and the District of Columbia, citing the current regulatory environment following recent upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The decision affects CVS Pharmacy locations in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Residents in these jurisdictions who meet the FDA’s stricter criteria for immunization will be unable to receive the vaccine at CVS until the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reconvenes.

CVS spokesperson Amy Reed explained that state laws require pharmacists to administer only those vaccines formally recommended by ACIP. The panel was dismissed and reconstituted this week by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who replaced all 17 members with individuals aligned with his skepticism of vaccine safety. As a result, ACIP will not meet again until at least mid-September, pending legislative action.

Despite the pause at CVS, broad coverage for the updated COVID-19 shots is expected to continue under most major U.S. health plans. Industry sources report that insurers-including Aetna, a subsidiary of CVS Health-will maintain no-cost coverage for initial doses and annual boosters in 2025, consistent with Affordable Care Act mandates.

The FDA authorized the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax on Wednesday, limiting use to adults aged 65 and older and younger individuals with specified health conditions. New Jersey remains an outlier: CVS pharmacies in that state will continue administering COVID-19 shots, as local pharmacy regulations permit vaccines not yet endorsed by ACIP.

Public health experts warn that delays in vaccine availability could hinder protection during the early weeks of the upcoming respiratory virus season. “Pharmacies have been critical to our COVID response,” said Dr. Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “If pharmacies pause vaccination, access could be severely restricted just as we enter cold and flu season”.

CVS advises patients in affected areas to monitor state health department guidance and explore alternative vaccination sites, such as doctors’ offices and community clinics, until ACIP issues its official recommendations.