COVID-19 updated boosters are now easier to get in Florida.
As of Tuesday, Publix and Walgreens pharmacies in Florida will begin administering the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccines to eligible patients without a prescription. They join CVS and CVS Minute Clinic, which had already been administering the shots — although with a prescription.
Walgreens spokesperson Brigid Sweeney said its Florida pharmacies are well stocked with booster shots and customers can make appointments on its portal.
“In accordance with FDA approval, we offer the vaccine to all adults 65 years and older, as well as to individuals under 65 who are at higher risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19, as determined by the CDC,” Sweeney said.
The Florida Board of Pharmacy met on Tuesday and advised that under existing statutes and rules, pharmacists, interns, and technicians in Florida may administer FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines to eligible individuals 18 years and older under specific protocols. That means anyone 65 years of age and older are eligible to receive the vaccines, as well as individuals 64 years of age and younger with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.
“Publix pharmacies are now accepting walk-ins for eligible patients, and we will begin offering appointments later today for as early as tomorrow,” Publix spokeswoman Lindsey Willis said Tuesday. Publix has 800 pharmacy locations in Florida.
Both CVS and Walgreens representatives say their companies will ask patients under age 65 if they have any of these factors. They won’t require proof.
“In simplest terms, if a patient says they’re eligible, they will get the vaccine,” said Amy Thibault, the CVS Health spokeswoman.
Soon, though, any restrictions will be lifted, which is good news for Floridians who have been frustrated for weeks in their attempts to get the newest COVID booster.
On Friday, vaccine advisers picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declined to specifically recommend the shots but said Americans could make individual decisions on whether to get them.
The recommendations from the advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require sign-off by the agency’s director, but they are almost always adopted.
“Once the acting CDC director adopts the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)’s recent recommendations, Walgreens will offer the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines at locations nationwide, including in Florida, to individuals three years and older, no prescription required,” Sweeney had said of Walgreens.
Walgreens has 1,600 pharmacies in Florida, and some locations offer Moderna shots, while others provide Pfizer.
Many people start seeking vaccinations in the late summer or early fall to get protection against winter surges in cases, as well as for protection on cruises and during other travel.
Until now, CVS had been the only major retail pharmacy in the state giving out the 2025-2026 COVID booster shots. CVS had been requiring patients to be 65 or older or at risk for severe outcomes — and have a prescription. The CVS MinuteClinic also administered shots with a prescription or allowed a shot if its nurse practitioners prescribed it. Some CVS pharmacies carry the Moderna brand, while others carry Pfizer.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is covered by most insurance plans at no cost for eligible patients,” said Thibault of CVS Health. “Patients should check with their insurer to determine whether the updated COVID-19 vaccine is covered by their individual health plan.”
It appears that most insurers will cover the cost of the booster — at least through 2026.
The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that the committee vote “provides for immunization coverage through all payment mechanisms.” An HHS spokesperson said that includes Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, commercial coverage sold through health insurance marketplaces, and the federal Vaccines for Children program, which pays for roughly half of childhood vaccinations in the U.S. each year.
The Vaccines for Children program typically automatically covers any vaccines recommended by the CDC’s vaccine committee.
The trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans said earlier this week that its members will continue to cover the shots at no cost to patients through 2026.
That group includes every major insurer except UnitedHealthcare. And that insurer has said it will continue covering the vaccine at no cost for its standard commercial coverage, which includes plans offered for individuals and through small businesses.
Large employers with their own insurance plans will make their own decisions on the vaccines.
According to data presented to the CDC vaccine committee, about two-thirds of adults get COVID-19 shots at pharmacies, and around 30% receive them at doctors’ offices.
Until this season, the U.S. has recommended yearly COVID-19 shots for everyone age 6 months and older.
Information from the Associated Press was used to supplement this article.
South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com
Originally Published: September 23, 2025 at 4:17 PM EDT