(WWJ) Will you get a COVID-19 vaccine this year? That has become a complicated question for many Americans.
The once-straightforward vaccine process has become muddled for the 2025-26 respiratory virus season under new federal guidance recommending the shot only for people age 65 and older, or those with a health condition that puts them at high risk for severe disease.
In Michigan, however, the health department says everyone over the age of 6 months "should" still be able to get this year's updated COVID-19 vaccine — if they want it.
Chief Medical Executive for the state of Michigan, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian stressed that she does continue to recommend the vaccine for most everyone 6 months and up, and that the vaccine remains safe and effective.
"The changes that have taken place recently, both with the CDC recommendations and FDA label changes, these were not based on new data. These were not based on some new piece of information that came out that found a problem with these vaccines," Bagdasarian said, in an interview Tuesday with WWJ Newsradio 950's Dan Jenkins,
"The data remains the same. The data shows these vaccines have been profoundly helpful in having our country come out of the pandemic, and in saving lives."
Bagdasarian said doctors and researchers so believe people have some immunity from either previous infections or vaccines, but an annual vaccine is still a good idea.
She is concerned that the FDA changes could make the vaccination process a bit more complicated this year complicated this year.
"We are not expecting any major barriers to people getting vaccines," Bagdasarian said, "but there may be some inconveniences in terms of where you have to go, or some additional hoops you have to jump through to get those vaccines. And we'll know more as those vaccines start hitting the shelves, as they start coming in, and as we continue to have conversations with some of our partners."
For those who in the past have gotten their COVID shots at CVS or the Meijer pharmacy, Bagdasarian said: "Right now we've been hearing from pharmacies that they will be getting COVID vaccines in, they are expecting shipments, they are expecting to give these vaccines. However, we'll have to wait and see if there any obstacles to getting COVID vaccines at pharmacies."
With summer wrapping up, Bagdasarian said this is the time of year when virus numbers start to rise.
She said, typically, the best time to get your COVID vaccine, along with your annual flu shot, is in October.
This year, however, "because things are so up in the air," Bagdasarian recommends that any Michigander who want a COVID shot to go ahead and get it at their "earliest opportunity."
Bagdasarian said more people tend to get vaccinated when it's convenient, and is she is concerned that too many hurdles could impact Michigan's vaccination rates. "And we could see more people getting sicker from COVID this year as a result," she said, "So, that is my fear."
Listen to our full interview with Dr. Bagdasarian, HERE.
This comes amid sweeping changes at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Last week, Kennedy fired the director of the CDC, after in May ousting all 17 members of a vaccine advisory panel and replacing them was vaccine skeptics.
While the COVID-19 was developed under and praised by President Donald Trump during his first term, Trump has recently raised questions about their effectiveness.
“I want them to show them NOW, to CDC and the public, and clear up this MESS, one way or the other!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sept. 1. “I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why???”