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When and where to get your fall 2025 COVID-19 booster
Your guide to the fall 2025 COVID-19 booster shot.
The COVID-19 fall 2025 booster is now widely available in Massachusetts, with Gov. Maura Healey issuing a standing order on Sept. 3 to ensure access for “all eligible persons.”
The Food and Drug Administration has only approved the updated vaccine for adults ages 65 and older, or younger people with health conditions.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has previously pushed back on vaccine usage for pregnant women and healthy children, but this guidance goes against expert advice.
In her Sept. 3 statement, Healey said, “No matter what happens with Robert Kennedy and the federal government, we are going to make sure vaccines remain available in Massachusetts.”
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Mass. has taken steps to ensure vaccine accessibility for residents. The state mandates that insurance carriers cover vaccines recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), regardless of federal guidance. The Boston Public Health Commission is also offering free, walk-in COVID-19 and flu vaccines at clinics across the city through December 15.
Are you getting a COVID booster this fall?
Yes
57%
No
39%
I don't know yet
4%
We asked readers if they plan to get the COVID-19 booster this fall, and we received more than 500 responses, 57% answered that they would receive the COVID booster, while 36% said they would not and 4% said they weren’t sure yet.
Many of the respondents who plan to or have already received their vaccines say it’s now part of their routine to keep themselves and their loved ones protected. “I’ve gotten all the shots and boosters I should have, and haven’t ever contracted Covid,” Joseph F. from Watertown wrote. “If it ain’t broke, then don’t stop now.” Emer from Westwood is an ICU nurse and wrote, “I never want to go back to how bad it was before we had the vaccine.”
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Megan from Revere is at higher risk with asthma. “I never used to get a flu shot until I got the actual flu about 10 years ago, and my clearest memory of that experience was laying on my couch wondering whether I wanted to go to the ER/urgent care for all of the heavy narcotics or if I just wanted to die,” she wrote. “Never again. I signed up for the COVID shot the first minute I possibly could and have received every booster since.”
Some readers are choosing not to get the booster. “When I got a booster, it was the sickest (and most exhausted) I ever got. I called out of work. I didn’t feel great after my first COVID shot, but the boosters left me feeling sick and tired. Very tired,” an anonymous reader wrote. Another anonymous reader who identified as “a healthy woman under 65 and have no other medical conditions” will skip the booster. “I feel like the flu shot will be enough,” they wrote.
Another anonymous reader from Norwood is still unsure due to “all the confusion about it.”
Readers also shared their top questions surrounding vaccine guidance and access. We compiled the most common questions and answered them below.
Do I even need a COVID-19 booster shot?
Massachusetts public health officials shared COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for 2025-26 respiratory season. The vaccines “still show benefit in reducing illness, morbidity, and mortality,” even in the context of high levels of immunity, the guidance reads.
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Those who “should receive” the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccination include:
- Adults: Ages 65 years or older should receive two doses. Adults ages 19 to 64 years old with higher risk or a household contact with higher risk should receive one dose.
- Children and adolescents: All children ages 6 to 23 months old should receive the booster along with an initial vaccine series. Children ages 2 to 18 years old who are at higher risk of severe COVID and those who have a household contact with higher risk; are residing at a long-term care facility or other congregate settings should receive one dose. Healthy children and adolescents ages 2 to 18 years old who have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 should receive one dose.
- Special populations: People who are moderate to severe immunocompromised should receive two doses. All healthcare workers, pregnant people (including those who are considering pregnancy, have recently been pregnant, or lactating) should receive one dose.
See the full COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for the 2025-26 respiratory season from the DPH.
Where can I get the COVID-19 booster near me?
Massachusetts residents can get vaccinated at their doctors’ offices, pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens, community health centers, or through their local health department. The Massachusetts League of Community Health also provides a searchable map of vaccination sites at vaccinefinder.org.
Boston is also offering free, walk-in vaccines clinics through Dec. 15.
When can I get the COVID-19 booster?
The updated 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines are now available. Deciding on when to get the booster is dependent several factors including your age, vaccine history, and when you received your last booster or whether you’ve recently had a COVID infection.
Per a recent live Q&A with Boston Globe reporters, “Doctors say both COVID boosters and flu shots ideally should be sought out around October.”
Is the COVID-19 booster effective against new variants?
The dominant variant of concern is XFG COVID-19 variant, or “Stratus.” The World Health Organization has stated that the current COVID-19 vaccine is expected to remain effective and offer protection against it.
Does health insurance cover the fall COVID-19 booster shot?
Insurance carriers in Massachusetts must cover vaccines recommended by the state, per the state mandate. This includes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Association of Health Plans.
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“Blue Cross covers COVID-19 boosters,” Kelsey Pearse from Blue Cross told Boston.com. “Our coverage for routine vaccines has not changed. Our out-of-state members can receive their vaccinations from in-network providers, as well as at retail pharmacies across the country, at zero cost share. Most vaccines are already covered under Medicare Part B or Part D. Members may continue to access vaccines as usual.”
You can access your vaccination record or receive a digital COVID-19 vaccine card at: myvaxrecords.mass.gov.
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