AMNA NAWAZ: Many Americans who want to# get the newest COVID vaccines may now## have a harder time doing so after the# Food and Drug Administration limited## approval for the shots to adults 65 and# older or those who are at high risk for## severe disease.

The vaccine was previously# available to anyone 6 months and older.

People have questions and we're going to try to# answer some of them now with Katelyn Jetelina,## adjunct professor at the Yale School# of Public Health and the author of## the Substack column Your Local Epidemiologist.

Welcome back to the "News# Hour."

Thanks for joining us.

KATELYN JETELINA, Your Local Epidemiologist# Substack: Thanks for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: Let's just start with the basics he..

Right now, according to the FDA, who is# eligible to get the COVID-19 .. KATELYN JETELINA: That's right.

So FDA narrowed its la.. those 6 months through 64 years with at least one# high-risk condition.

This is a big departure from## past years, and it is quite unusual for# the FDA to restrict a vaccine this way.

Meanwhile, medical groups don't necessarily# agree with the FDA label.

Pediatricians,## for example, recommend all kids under 2 get# vaccinated, whether they have a high-risk## condition or not, plus high-risk kids and# those living with vulnerable family members.

And so, as you can imagine, this is# starting to get confusing pretty quickly,## because you can end up with scenarios# where on one hand pediatricians say## a healthy 1-year-old should get a# COVID vaccine this fall because of## their little vulnerable immune systems,# but on the other hand FDA label says no.

And so that means, for some families,## they could be pushed onto getting# off-label COVID-19 vaccines this fall.

AMNA NAWAZ: Just one more definitional question# here.

When you're talking about high-risk,## what are we talking about?

What does that include?

KATELYN JETELINA: Yes, so FDA didn't spell this# out last week, but they did defer to CDC's list.## And this is good news because it's very broad.# High-risk includes everything from pregnancy## to those with diabetes or obesity and cancer,# disabilities, or even mental health conditions.

And so, by some estimates, that covers# nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults.

AMNA NAWAZ: And as folks are trying# to understand this change, I mean,## you mentioned it's not typical for these kinds## of policy changes to happen.

There's# disagreement in the medical community.

What is your understanding of what led to## the change?

Did something change# with the vaccines or COVID itself?

KATELYN JETELINA: Yes, so science hasn't# changed, right?

The vaccine is still## effective at providing additional protection,# and it's also safer than the virus itself.

What has changed is, one, the environment,# right?

Most of us now have some level of## immunity.

And our ICUs aren't overflowing.# We're not in the middle of an emergency,## which is great.

And so on one hand it does make## sense to prioritize pregnancy and kids# under 2 and older adults, for example.

But the way this policy is being rolled out,# it's out of order, it's inconsistent, it's very## unclear, it's not transparent, has left a lot of# pharmacies and physicians and families scrambling,## mainly because RFK, our health and human services# secretary, doesn't believe that this process## was evidence-based, although it's been the# process we have used for the past 90 years.

AMNA NAWAZ: So you mentioned the# pharmacy piece of it there.

People## have probably seen both CVS and# Walgreens are now limiting access## to the COVID vaccine in some states,# requiring prescriptions in others.

If people want to get the shot,# are they going to be able to get## it through their local pharmacy,# and is insurance going to cover it?

KATELYN JETELINA: Yes, this is# like the billion-dollar question,## right?

And this is critical, because 90 percent# of COVID vaccines are given at pharmacies.

So, right now, two things are happening.

One# is, in about 16 states, pharmacies like CVS## or Walgreens have paused COVID-19 vaccines# altogether because their state's authority## depends on very clear guidance, which we# haven't really gotten from CDC.

We were## supposed to get it in June.

It still hasn't# come out yet, so those states are in limbo.

The second thing that's happening is that,# in other states, pharmacies may still offer## the vaccine, they may still have them in# stock, but for people who only fit the FDA## label.

Pharmacists generally cannot give# vaccines off-label.

So if you're a healthy## 40-year-old who wants to get the shot, you will# probably be turned away from your pharmacy.

Insurance coverage is also in# limbo.

It's not entirely clear## whether health insurance is going# to cover the cost of your vaccine,## and this uncertainty makes it very difficult# for families who want to protect themselves.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, a lot of questions, we don't# yet have the answers to, it seems like.

But, as you mentioned, pretty much anyone# 6 months and over could get the shot before## this policy change, but we should also point# out uptick of the vaccine has been very low## among adults.

CDC data showed that less than a# quarter of adults received the shot last year.

So,## for most people, if you have the original# shots, if you have got some boosters,## if you have had COVID, should they# still be getting the COVID vaccine?

KATELYN JETELINA: What we're seeing# is that the data is consistent that,## if you get a COVID-19 vaccine, you have# additional protection against COVID infection,## albeit not perfect, but also severe disease, for# at least four to six months after the vaccine.

It is getting really confusing.

For my family,# I'm going to still follow the evidence-based## guidance from medical societies.

I am young, but I# also have a chronic condition.

So I will still be## getting this vaccine this fall.

Also, the vaccines# aren't the only tool we have in our tool box.

I'm sure people are really sick of the Swiss# cheese model, but there's also other steps## to take not to get sick, like wearing a mask in# crowded indoor spaces, testing before you visit## grandparents in the nursing home.

There's# many ways to balance risk at this moment.

AMNA NAWAZ: If I ask you to take -- kind of step# back and look at the bigger picture right now,## we saw last week Health and Human Services# Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fire the## CDC director, Dr. Susan Monarez.That also# then led to the resignation of multiple## other senior CDC officials, who all said# they were concerned about his leadership,## concerned about his stance on vaccines.

I just want to get your response to that as# someone who tracks this very closely.

What## are your concerns?

And are you worried about# the CDC losing its credibility in this moment?

KATELYN JETELINA: Last week was a# huge week in public health, because,## essentially, CDC imploded, right?

Like you said, the director and four senior# leaders were basically -- were pushed out.## And these are not just bureaucrats.

They# were very steady hands who guided us## through crises after crises with clarity,# compassion, and were evidence-informed.

And when leaders like this are forced out, it is# not just the agency that suffers.

It is all of us,## right?

A weaker CDC means communities# are more vulnerable, from outbreaks,## to chronic diseases, to even basic health data.## The foundation of public health is eroding# faster than I ever thought possible.

And I don't say this lightly, but if# we do not change the ship's direction,## I truly think our nation's# health security is at risk.

AMNA NAWAZ: Katelyn Jetelina, author of the# Substack column Your Local Epidemiologist,## always good to speak with you.

Thank you.

KATELYN JETELINA: Thanks for having me.