The updated 2025-2026 COVID boosters have received FDA approval, but Kentucky remains one of sixteen states that bars pharmacists from administering them until the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issues its own recommendation (201 KAR 2:420).
In past years, the CDC recommendation has come out at around the same time as FDA approval. This year, the ACIP meeting won’t happen until late September.
Kentuckians willing to travel can get the shot sooner in Indiana and Ohio. Though both states generally follow ACIP guidance, their rules allow pharmacists to give FDA-approved COVID vaccines before an ACIP vote. However, other barriers besides just time and distance remain - the new FDA labeling of the 2025-2026 vaccine recommends its use only for populations 65 and older or those younger who are at high risk. It is possible for doctors to prescribe vaccines off-label, but insurers may not cover the cost.
There is a loophole. Though Kentucky state law does not allow Kentucky pharmacists to inject the vaccine without ACIP approval, they are allowed to dispense it to fill a doctor’s prescription to be administered elsewhere, like a doctor's office or clinic. This introduces further complications; because some COVID vaccines require ultra-cold temperatures for storage and cannot be at room temperature longer than half an hour, many clinics which do not have the ability to store them on-site have directed patients to request them at pharmacies, where they have been easily accessible in past years.
Kentucky is currently experiencing a summer spike in COVID cases, but the dominant strains are variants for which last season's booster still offers protection.
WUKY is following up with local health providers to clarify options for residents who do not want to wait on the new shots.