Update: This story has been updated to add information from Banner Health.
COVID-19 vaccines should be more widely available in Arizona now. Arizonans had been facing some hurdles to getting the shots amid regulatory confusion caused by shakeups at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But a state health department order last week has cleared the way for broader access.
Here’s what to know about access to COVID-19 vaccines in Arizona for the 2025-2026 respiratory virus season.
Who should get the COVID-19 vaccine this year?
In previous years, the CDC recommended annual COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older. This year, an advisory panel to the CDC narrowed that guidance, saying anyone who wants the vaccine should first talk to a health care provider about risks and benefits of the shot.
But other major health organizations continue to recommend the vaccine for most people.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says children 6 months to 23 months are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19. It says all children in this age group who do not have medical contradictions should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. For children 2 through 18 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends annual COVID-19 vaccines for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, or who want additional protection.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says pregnant women are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19. It strongly recommends that all pregnant and lactating individuals receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends all adults 18 and older should receive a COVID-19 vaccine this year. It emphasizes that the vaccines are especially important for people over 65, people who are at high risk for severe COVID, and people who have never been vaccinated for COVID before.
Do I need a prescription for a COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona?
The Arizona Department of Health Services has issued a standing order to serve as a prescription for all Arizonans who want to get the shot.
Gov. Katie Hobbs said the health department order will ensure Arizonans 6 months and older will still have access to this year’s updated COVID-19 shot without needing an individual prescription from a doctor.
Pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens confirmed to KJZZ that they are providing vaccines in the state without requiring patients to have individual prescriptions.
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona?
Pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens confirmed to KJZZ that they are providing vaccines in the state without requiring patients to have individual prescriptions.
Pharmacies in the state cannot vaccinate kids under 6 years old.
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health told KJZZ that it will offer free COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months to 18 years old at its immunization clinics without requiring patients to have individual prescriptions. But those clinics had not yet received the vaccines as of Sept. 23.
Banner Health, the state's largest health care system, had previously put a pause on administering or prescribing COVID-19 vaccines. Banner now says its ambulatory clinics will have the vaccines available starting Sept. 30.
Availability may vary at other doctor’s offices, clinics and pharmacies in the state.
Will my insurance cover the COVID-19 vaccine?
Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona and UnitedHealthcare Arizona both told KJZZ they would continue to cover the costs of COVID-19 vaccines for their members.
Arizonans should confirm what their individual health plan covers.
Why is there so much confusion around COVID-19 vaccines this year?
Regulatory confusion caused by recent turmoil at the CDC means Arizonans have faced more hurdles than usual this year when trying to get COVID-19 vaccines.
In June, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and hand-picked their replacements. Kennedy later ousted CDC director Susan Monarez. Monarez said she was fired for refusing to approve changes to evidence-based recommendations for vaccines.
The new ACIP members met Sept. 18 and 19. They voted to offer narrower recommendations this year for who should get COVID-19 vaccines.
“Folks are really confused, pediatricians are confused, adult providers are confused and local health departments are scrambling to figure out what all of these things mean for their environment,” the former director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, said during a call with reporters Sept. 22.
Daskalakis resigned from his role in August because of concerns about changes to the CDC under Kennedy.
Daskalakis said the result of confusion over the CDC’s recommendations will be more patchwork access to vaccines this year, with some states, including Arizona, offering state-level policies on vaccines.
“I think that there’s no choice but to go more local, but I do lament the fact that we’re not going to have that national leadership that’s necessary to create a more umbrella approach to vaccine policy,” Daskalakis said.
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The Arizona Department of Health Services issued a standing order to serve as a prescription for all Arizonans who want to get COVID-19 vaccines, but Arizonans may still face hurdles.
