After weeks of confusion about access to the latest COVID-19 vaccine and murky guidance from federal officials, Louisiana residents should now find it much easier to get a shot.

Pharmacies and clinics across the state are offering the updated vaccines without a prescription, following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released earlier this month. The agency said that anyone 6 months and older can receive the vaccine through “shared clinical decision-making” with a provider — essentially, a conversation between patients and their providers about personal risk and benefit.

In practical terms, that shouldn’t look any different from the usual process of getting a vaccine from a provider, whether that’s in a pharmacy or at a doctor’s office, said Dr. Jennifer Avegno, director of the New Orleans Health Department.

“When you get any vaccine from a doctor or pharmacist, you talk through risks and benefits and get your questions answered,” said Avegno. “It’s no different than before.”

Weeks of uncertainty

The clarification marked the end of several weeks of uncertainty over who could get the updated vaccine and how. After the Food and Drug Administration approved this fall’s updated COVID-19 shots on Aug. 27, it narrowed use to seniors 65 and older and to people from 6 months to 64 years old with certain high-risk conditions. In Louisiana, that was interpreted by some pharmacies to mean prescriptions were necessary for everyone or for at least some groups of people, which created barriers and confusion.

On Sept. 19, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, reshaped under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted to make COVID vaccination an “individual-based” or “shared clinical decision-making” choice for everyone 6 months and older. CDC formally accepted the recommendation in October, and major chains resumed giving shots without prescriptions nationwide.

CVS pharmacies will give the COVID-19 vaccine to ages five and up without a prescription, said Amy Thibault, a spokesperson. Walgreens will provide it for ages three and up, according to Carly Kaplan, a Walgreens spokesperson.

Recommendations for kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children aged 6 months to 23 months receive a COVID-19 vaccine, saying that babies and toddlers in this age group are at higher risk of severe illness and hospitalization compared to other children. For older kids, it recommends vaccination for those with underlying risk factors and also says parents should decide if healthy kids get a shot.

Younger kids typically receive immunizations from their pediatrician. As of fall 2025, three COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for children in the United States, though eligibility varies by age.

The Moderna vaccine is cleared for children 6 months and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which in past seasons covered those as young as 6 months, is now authorized only for ages 5 and older under the FDA’s 2025–2026 update. For older children and teens 12 and up, the Novavax vaccine, a protein-based, non-mRNA option, is also available. There is no authorized COVID-19 vaccine for infants under 6 months.

Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans has the COVID-19 vaccine available both at the hospital and in community clinics, according to Dr. Mark Kline, physician in chief. Ochsner Health, which has clinics and hospitals across the state, also has updated pediatric and adult vaccines available. The Louisiana Department of Health will have vaccines available at parish health units and will administer it “in accordance with the latest CDC recommendations,” said Emma Herrock, spokesperson. 

Uptake is low, but essential for some

Louisiana has low uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. Roughly 5.7% of kids in the state received it in the past respiratory virus season. Nationally, the rate was 13%, according to the CDC. Among adults, the rate is 12.5% in Louisiana compared to 23% nationally. 

Still, some families see it as essential protection, said Dr. Nora Oates of Hales Pediatrics. She’s heard from parents of healthy kids who are eager to find the vaccine because they live with someone who’s immunocompromised.

“There’s other reasons — an indication for a newborn coming in (to the family),” Oates said. “Our families are expressing frustration over the delay in recommendations and the contradictory messages.”

In Louisiana, Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham has publicly criticized COVID-19 vaccines, calling them “dangerous.” Gov. Jeff Landry echoed that when U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician, suggested the state put in a standing order for the vaccine, a common practice that makes a medication available over the counter. Earlier this year, the state health department changed a years-long practice of offering mass vaccination fairs and instructed employees not to recommend seasonal vaccinations.

The New Orleans Health Department continues to hold community vaccination events, offering flu, COVID-19, shingles and pneumonia shots. At a recent Bug Fest event in mid-October, nearly 200 people were vaccinated, Avegno said.