Covid vaccine access remains scrambled in hurricane-force politics. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently revoked the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of covid vaccines, making them approved only for those 65+ years old or with one of the many high-risk conditions outlined by the CDC. However, White House officials are also claiming that any adult can still easily access the COVID vaccines, ignoring the reality of insurance coverage being dependent on FDA approvals. These inconsistencies will no doubt confuse many Americans and lead to less people getting the vaccine. Trump also fired the CDC director, Dr. Susan Monarez, after she refused to approve RFK Jr.’s unscientific vaccine policies, leading to many high-ranking experts also abandoning the institution. One thing is clear in this muggy summer: the CDC’s reputation, credibility, and stability continue to worsen, fanning the flames of the ongoing wildfire that is American public health.
Sifting through a foggy forecast of vaccine policies, some pharmacies in certain states are now only offering the COVID vaccines to those with a prescription. Other states, such as Illinois, New Mexico, and Colorado have begun making state-wide efforts to ensure vaccine access without a prescription. Other states are building partnerships to create public health independence from the federal government: California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii have formed the West Coast Health Alliance as well as the New England and mid-Atlantic states forming their own. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Florida Surgeon General has made the disastrous move to end all vaccine mandates, which will inevitably result in the suffering and death of countless people within and outside the state. This decision was cloaked under the guise of bodily autonomy, disgustingly hypocritical from a state that criminalizes abortion. The never-ending efforts of politicians to insert their unscientific personal beliefs onto the lives of millions will only continue to result in disability and death. Keep a close eye on statements from your state Public Health Department as this situation is changing every day. We strongly encourage that everyone who is able to still get vaccinated, as the COVID vaccines provide fantastic communal and individual benefits, even if they are imperfect.
Map source: NBC News, September 3rd 2025.
Tips for weathering the storm. The following is not official legal or medical advice. The list of high-risk conditions is long and many of us do not realize we are “high-risk.” There are many immunocompromised and elderly people, but this list also includes those with depression, obesity, asthma, diabetes, ADHD, smoking, and many more conditions. The majority of Americans have one of these conditions, meaning a majority are still eligible for a COVID vaccine even if the new FDA restrictions are in place. Many health workers including doctors and pharmacists are not aware of this long list and you may have to correct their assumptions. Additionally, many of them can prescribe the COVID vaccine off-label to get around the FDA’s unscientific restrictions. At a pharmacy, you should not have to show medical documentation of these conditions per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so you don’t need to worry about carrying sensitive information in public.
The Weather
The storm continues to rage despite those in power claiming clear skies. The CDC-based wastewater map has finally been updated and shows “moderate” to “very high” levels across a majority of states. Regional levels indicate the South and Midwest have increasing levels, while the Northeast and West have stable or slightly decreasing levels. These indicators demonstrate an ongoing summer surge in COVID infections, likely impacting many students and faculty as a new school year starts.
Children and teens are being hit most by the current wave. Age groups 12-15 and 16-17 are making up an unequal amount of emergency room visits for COVID, as explained in Dr. Noha Aboleta’s The People’s Health Briefing By Roots Community Health. This is happening at the same time as the FDA has put forth regulations that would make it incredibly difficult for younger people to get the COVID vaccine.
Emergency Room Use
Another sign of the serious impact of COVID is the percent of emergency room visits involving a new COVID diagnosis. According to the CDC, the proportion of Emergency Room visits involving a COVID-19 diagnosis continues to increase, now accounting for 1.6% of all Emergency Room visits as of September 5th, 2025. An important note: the CDC websites for these data have been taken offline, re-uploaded, and redone a few times over the last week. If the link above does not work, try again another time.
Variants
As of September 5th, 2025, The CDC’s wastewater variant tracking shows that variant XFG, AKA “Stratus”, still makes up a majority of infections, predicted to account for over 75% of all infections. This is still the dominant variant in the US and worldwide. The WHO still classifies Stratus as a “variant under monitoring” meaning it is not yet known to cause more severe illness or death than previous variants. Stratus has no doubt been the cause of this summer surge of COVID infections. The WHO noted that current vaccines should offer protection from this new variant.
Graphic source: CDC Wastewater Variant Tracker
Long COVID
Mt. Sinai has released their first manual for health workers treating infection-related chronic diseases, such as Long COVID. To access the manual directly, click here. This is a much needed resource that we celebrate. Long COVID patients have been vocal about the difficulties of not only getting diagnosed, but finding any measure of relief. This manual will hopefully be an impactful resource for both health workers and patients alike.
Take Action
Make the classroom safer. Encouraging your student(s) to wear a high-quality mask is a fantastic way to help protect them during this current wave. You can also add an air purifier to the classroom. Studies have shown that adding an air purifier can greatly reduce infection rates of not just COVID but many other common illnesses in classrooms and daycares. You can meet with teachers or go to your local school board meeting to pitch the idea. If you are worried about the sensitivity around discussing COVID, you can frame this discussion around colds and the flu more generally because the air purifiers work on those as well! Teachers can pitch this idea to their unions as a reasonable workplace safety measure. No one wants their child coming home sick. Teachers don’t enjoy getting sick at work. Air purifiers are a simple intervention that benefits everyone. If costs are an issue, propose a classroom/school fundraiser. We need to be creative in these sensitive and tumultuous times on how we keep ourselves and our communities safer. See our Safer Gatherings toolkit for more tips on making classrooms safer.
Remove RFK Jr. petition: Stand Up For Science has created their own petition calling for the removal of RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. We encourage you to read and sign on. Last week RFK Jr. was on the receiving end of a bi-partisan downpour of intense questioning and accusations in a Senate committee hearing. It’s unclear if this will result in any material changes, but it can still be cathartic to watch.
Vaccines are under threat by RFK Jr! CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will be holding a meeting on September 18 and 19 with new ACIP members who intend to restrict access to COVID vaccines – and others. Universal access to COVID vaccines must be guaranteed to preserve public health. The public has an opportunity to oppose moves to restrict vaccine access by submitting a “Public Comment” at the upcoming ACIP meeting. Public comments opened on September 2 and will close September 13. We provide step-by-step instructions on how to submit a public comment. You may also seek to speak to committee members, giving a live oral comment at the meeting (via online teleconferencing), by filling out the oral comment registration form by September 13. All fields are required and you are asked to choose either 9/18 or 9/19. It is imperative that thousands of comments are submitted to ensure ongoing universal access to COVID vaccines.
Healthcare settings must be safe from COVID infections. The deadline for comments to protect the reporting of COVID exposures and infections in healthcare settings has been extended from September 2, 2025 to November 1, 2025. Ensure the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to require reporting of COVID exposures and infections in healthcare settings. We will provide a full set of instructions to address this policy closer to the deadline with a focus on ensuring healthcare acquired COVID infections are reported and prevented. Submit a written public comment to OSHA to maintain reporting of COVID exposures and infections in healthcare settings via the Federal Register no later than November 1, 2025 at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time.
Covid on the rise in Palestine. Palestinians in Gaza are reporting a wave of COVID infections, with no healthcare for treatment and no access to masks to prevent the spread in the face of Israel’s genocide. The unchecked spread of disease has historically been a tool and result of colonialism and genocide. This highlights how our struggles to free Palestine and end the COVID pandemic are deeply connected and cannot meaningfully exist without one another.
With the increased spread of COVID and measles in the US, we need to keep ourselves and our communities safe using KF94/KN95/N95 masking and as many layers of protection as possible. Our Safer Gathering Guide provides recommendations for safer meetings and gatherings. Please continue to share it!
Notes: 1) The numbers in this report were current as of 9/5/2025. 2) Check out the links throughout & see our website for more at https://peoplescdc.org. 3) Subscribe to our newsletter: People’s CDC | Substack.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The People’s CDC is a coalition of public health practitioners, scientists, healthcare workers, educators, advocates and people from all walks of life working to reduce the harmful impacts of COVID-19.
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