Dear Doctors: I suggest you talk about the benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet for people with Type 2 diabetes. The results are marvelous, and I think the people with diabetes could be cured.
Dear Reader: Plant-based diets date back thousands of years. The ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras is considered by many to be the father of vegetarianism. For him, it was a moral and ethical decision. In the early 1800s, driven by social and cultural changes, the focus shifted to improved health and well-being. Today, a growing body of research links a plant-based diet to a wide range of benefits. These include reduced inflammation, improved cardiovascular health, lower rates of heart disease, improved gut health and lower rates of certain cancers. And, as you’ve pointed out, improved blood sugar control.
For those who aren’t familiar, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic and progressive condition. This condition first impairs the body’s response to insulin. Over time, the condition also affects production of the hormone by the pancreas. This leads to elevated blood glucose levels. Elevated blood glucose can cause serious health problems if left untreated. It can cause nerve damage, kidney disease, impaired vision, tissue damage, heart disease and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Currently, there is no cure for Type 2 diabetes. Even if it can’t be cured, it can be successfully managed. A plant-based — or even plant-forward — diet can play a key role.
Studies have found that a plant-based diet can have dual benefits. For people living with Type 2 diabetes, it can greatly improve blood sugar control. It’s also been found that a plant-based diet can significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease. A study of 113,000 adults in Great Britain analyzed their health data. The study found that people with diets highest in fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes and grains lowered their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 25%. A separate review of more than 60 studies and research papers on the possible benefits of a plant-based diet corroborated these findings.
Eating a plant-based or plant-forward diet involves meals and snacks that contain a generous amount of fiber. Fiber is a crucial nutrient that is notably scarce in the modern American diet. A high-fiber diet slows down how the body breaks down glucose and absorbs it. This can lead to improved insulin response. Subbing out processed foods for fresh fruit and vegetables, beans, grains and legumes reduces simple carbs and added sugars that can contribute to insulin resistance and poor blood glucose control. A plant-based diet also lowers systemic inflammation, improving overall health outcomes.
Like we said, Type 2 diabetes cannot be cured. But for some people, adopting a plant-based or plant-forward diet can lessen or even eliminate the reliance on medications. However, it’s important to remember that diabetes is a silent disease. If you want to adopt a plant-based diet, work closely with your doctor as you track the resulting blood glucose response. Never change, reduce or eliminate medications without medical guidance.
(Send your questions to [email protected], or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1955, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)
Stephen Miran, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers and US Federal Reserve governor nominee for US President Donald Trump, during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025.
Daniel Heuer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Senate is expected to vote Monday on President Donald Trump’s pick to join the Federal Reserve, Stephen Miran, one day before the central bank is set to meet to consider cutting interest rates.
A procedural vote on Miran’s nomination to the Fed Board of Governors is expected to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, before a final confirmation vote at around 8 p.m.
If confirmed, Miran said he would take an unpaid leave of absence from his current role as chair of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors, without fully resigning.
That prospect has further inflamed concerns about the Fed’s independence, which were already heightened by Trump’s escalating efforts to get the central bank to slash benchmark interest rates.
Markets are expecting the central bank to cut rates for the first time since December 2024, but questions remain over how deep the cuts might be.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has so far resisted the president’s pressure campaign, but he signaled last month that economic conditions — including uncertainty caused by tariffs — may warrant cuts at the September meeting.
If he participates in the two-day Fed meeting starting Tuesday, Miran would likely not be the decisive vote on rate cuts. The Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-2 to keep rates steady at its last meeting in late July.
But critics say Miran could try to influence the committee, and they warn that his presence undermines the central bank’s independence from the White House.
“One day of serving as the President’s chief economist and a supposedly independent Governor at the Fed would be one day too many,” Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said before Miran made it through her committee on a party-line vote last week.
Trump picked Miran to fill the seat being vacated by Governor Adriana Kugler, who abruptly announced her resignation in August.
Miran would serve until Jan. 31, the date when Kugler’s term was set to expire.
“The term for which I’ve been nominated is four and a half months. If I am nominated and confirmed for a longer term than just a handful of months, I would absolutely resign,” Miran said at his hearing.
Read more CNBC politics coverage
Miran’s fast-tracked confirmation vote comes as Trump has moved to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook from the central bank, citing allegations of mortgage fraud put forward by his administration.
Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Fed governor, has denied the allegations and sued to block her removal.
A judge last week blocked Trump from firing Cook as the lawsuit over her termination plays out. Trump has asked a federal appeals court to pause that lower-court ruling before Tuesday’s Fed meeting.
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.
Across the cottage-like complex, Smart—who won her fourth best actress in a comedy Emmy for Hacks—settled into one of the Bungalows’ outdoor booths, surrounded by meticulously pruned greenery. She refueled with a Brussels sprouts salad and received congratulatory hugs and kisses from Hacks creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. Soon, Smart’s costars Megan Stalter and newly minted Emmy winner Hannah Einbinder—her fourth nomination and first win, for supporting actress in a comedy—joined the celebratory powwow. Then servers brought out two white cakes topped with sprinkles to mark Smart’s 74th birthday and Stalter’s 35th. The crowd sang “Happy Birthday,” and Smart told Stalter, “Make a wish! Make it a good one.” The two blew out their candles, and Stalter kissed Smart’s hand in thanks.
Around 10:30 p.m., Wyle made a triumphant entrance, strolling into the fête clutching his two Emmy trophies. After five acting nominations in the 1990s for playing a rookie doctor on ER without a win, he finally took home his first Emmy for lead actor in a drama series for The Pitt. He earned a second on Sunday night as a producer. With his wife, actress Sara Wyle, by his side, he nestled into the Bungalows’ oak-paneled living room and was greeted with a huge ovation. “It’s been an incredible night. A dream come true,” Wyle told a guest as they hugged. The couple celebrated with a shot of tequila and an orange wedge.
Wyle’s costar Katherine LaNasa was a surprise winner in the supporting actress in a drama series category, edging out several contenders from The White Lotus, including Carrie Coon. LaNasa and her husband, Melrose Place alum Grant Show, joined Wyle in the cozy living room to loud, enthusiastic cheers. “I’m feeling overwhelmed with joy,” LaNasa said, taking a quick breather from mingling with friends. “I’m humbled to have gotten these votes from my fellow members of the Academy. It’s so meaningful to me.” The veteran actress stunned in an Old Hollywood–style strapless ivory ball gown with a ceil-blue bow. “I feel very beautiful in this Jason Wu gown,” she added. “I’m very humbled that he made it for me.”
Perhaps the night’s biggest surprise was Jeff Hiller, who won best supporting actor in a comedy for Somebody Somewhere, marking his first Emmy. “I feel like I’m on top of the world,” Hiller said as he zigzagged through the club’s interior courtyard, Emmy in hand.
Just after midnight, LaNasa hit the dance floor. Then the cast of The White Lotus—including Aimee Lou Wood, Lalisa Manoban (Lisa from Blackpink), Jason Isaacs, Nicholas Duvernay, and Monaghan—linked up to dance the night away. As French DJ duo Doppelganger spun crowd-pleasers like “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye, the group twirled, bopped, and gyrated for a rousing send-off. It was a final hurrah as the TV awards-season cycle officially came to a close.
The late-night bash wrapped well past 1 a.m., with Wyle among the last to leave. Guests were gifted HBO Max–branded slippers, and many happily swapped out their heels for the slip-ons. Winners departed San Vicente Bungalows with an Emmy in one hand and their Louboutins in the other, sauntering to their cars.
A doctor who left a patient midway through an operation to have sex with a nurse is at “very low risk” of repeating his serious misconduct, a medical tribunal has ruled.
Dr Suhail Anjum, 44, and the unnamed nurse were caught in a “compromising position” by a colleague who walked in on the pair at Tameside hospital. The consultant anaesthetist had asked another nursing colleague to monitor the male patient, who was under general anaesthetic, so he could go to the bathroom.
Instead, Anjum, a married father of three, went to another operating theatre at the hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, where sexual activity took place with Nurse C on 16 September 2023.
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing was told another nurse at the hospital described seeing Nurse C “with her trousers around her knee area with her underwear on display” and that Dr Anjum was “tying up the cord of his trousers”.
Anjum was absent from the operating room for eight minutes and the patient came to no harm.
The matter was reported to management and Anjum was dismissed in February 2024 following an internal investigation. Last week he told an MPTS disciplinary tribunal he wanted to resume his career in the UK and relocate with his family after they had since moved to his native Pakistan where he worked as a doctor.
Anjum promised there would never be a repeat of a “one-off error of judgment”. Giving evidence, he said: “It was quite shameful, to say the least. I only have myself to blame. I let down everybody, not just my patient and myself but the trust and how it would look.
“I let down my colleagues who gave me a lot of respect.”
On Monday, the tribunal determined that Anjum “had put his own interests before those of the patient and his colleagues” and the incident involving Nurse C “had the potential to distract Dr Anjum … and he may not have been able to give his full attention to the patient’s care”.
The tribunal chair, Rebecca Miller, said his actions, while they did not harm the patient’s safety, were “significant enough to amount to misconduct that was serious”.
However, she was satisfied that Anjum was determined not to repeat his past misconduct and considered the risk of repetition to be “very low”.
No sanction will be imposed on the doctor and the hearing will reconvene in Manchester on Tuesday to decide whether to issue a warning on Dr Anjum’s registration.
Anjum had admitted engaging in sexual activity with Nurse C and that he knew she was “likely to be nearby” when he left his patient. He also admitted his actions had the potential to put his patient at risk.
Analysis led by Mass General Brigham researchers shows tirzepatide offers greater value than semaglutide for most patients.
For eligible and willing patients, bariatric surgery provides the best option from a clinical and economic perspective.
A new study led by investigators at Mass General Brigham finds that adding novel weight loss GLP-1 drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide to usual care represents a cost-effective treatment strategy for people with knee osteoarthritis and obesity, with tirzepatide providing greater health benefits at lower cost compared to semaglutide. The research comes as patients and providers seek to balance the benefits of weight loss and pain relief against the expense of these novel agents. Results are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
“Weight loss can relieve joint pain, but semaglutide and tirzepatide are expensive and most insurance plans don’t cover weight loss medications. This means that many patients can’t afford these medications,” said senior author Elena Losina, PhD, of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “This is why a formal economic analysis is valuable. It gives payers and policymakers the data they need to make informed coverage decisions and improve access to these weight loss treatments. Our goal is to ensure that payers and policymakers have the evidence they need to make informed decisions about coverage.”
The study was funded by the Arthritis Foundation and the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The investigators used OApol, a validated and widely published computer simulation model, to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing the two GLP-1 drugs as well as two other common weight loss interventions: bariatric surgery and lifestyle modifications. They found that tirzepatide offered somewhat better value than semaglutide and would be the preferred option between the two drugs for most patients. For eligible and willing patients, bariatric surgery, which provides sustained benefits, may be the best option from a clinical and economic perspective.
Limitations of this analysis include its reliance on data integrated from multiple sources. In addition, conducting this study required researchers to make assumptions about the duration of time patients would remain on these medications, which may affect the findings.
“Osteoarthritis substantially reduces quality of life due to debilitating pain and limited mobility. Obesity has been shown to shorten life expectancy,” said Losina. “Offering these drugs to patients with knee osteoarthritis and obesity improves both measures.”
Comet 3I/ATLAS’s appearance in the inner Solar System in July 2025 triggered a wave of interest. Not only in the comet itself, but in interstellar objects (ISO) in general. So far we only know of three ISOs, and it’s only natural to wonder about their origins, and how common they are. But scientists, being naturally curious, have other questions, too. What would happen if an ISO was captured by a young solar system?
At the recent Joint Meeting of the Europlanet Science Congress and the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Science (EPSC-DPS2025), a researcher asked what role comets like these may play when they’re captured by other stars with protoplanetary disks. It’s possible that ISOs like 3I/ATLAS could answer a longstanding question about planet formation.
Professor Susanne Pfalzner of Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany presented research showing that comets like 3I/ATLAS could act as seeds for the formation of giant planet.
“Interstellar objects may be able to jump start planet formation, in particular around higher-mass stars,” said Pfalzner.
There are two broad understandings of planet formation: the core accretion model and the gravitational instability mode.
The core accretion theory is a bottom-up model. It hypothesizes that planet formation begins on a very small scale with dust particles sticking together in a protoplanetary disk. Eventually there are pebbles, then rocks, then boulders, then planetesimals. If all goes well, the process forms planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
The gravitational instability model is a top-down model that’s similar to how we think stars form. It posits that regions in the disk become dense with matter and eventually collapse to form a planetary core. From there, gravity dominates and the core accretes more and more matter until a planet is formed.
The core accretion theory is more applicable to rocky planets, while the gravitational instability model is more applicable to giant planets like Jupiter. Recent research suggests that these mechanisms don’t operate in isolation from one another, but can work in combination to create planets.
Each of these theories, however, has unanswered questions. The core accretion theory, according to simulations, can’t create anything larger than about one meter. Boulders bounce off each other or are shattered during collisions. Pfalzner says that ISOs can explain how objects leap over the one meter barrier.
“Interstellar objects may be able to jump start planet formation, in particular around higher-mass stars,” Pfalzner said in a press release.
An artist’s illustration of Oumuamua, the first ISO discovered. It came through our Solar System in 2017. Image Credit: NASA
We only know of three ISOs because we’ve only been able to detect them for a short period of time. The first one, Oumuamua, was discovered in 2017, and in the eight years since then, we’ve found two more. Looking back over the Solar System’s roughly five billion year age, it’s easy to see how large numbers of ISOs have likely travelled through our Solar System.
But not all of them necessarily came and went. When solar systems are young, they’re dense with dust. In these environments, ISOs are more likely to be captured. Pfalzner’s research shows that a solar system could potentially capture millions of ISOs about 100 meters in diameter. Those captured objects could be the seeds for the formation of planets.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. It was only the second ISO ever detected. Image Credit: By NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA) – https://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hvi/uploads/image_file/image_attachment/31897/STSCI-H-p1953a-f-1106×1106.png, Public Domain
Pfalzner’s findings also address another specific issue in exoplanet science. Jupiter-mass gas giants are rare around low-mass stars. They’re far more common around stars like ours. But the problem is that planet-forming disks around stars like the Sun are not long-lived. After about two million years, the star’s wind and radiation dissipate the disk. Observations show that stars older than about 10 million years have no protoplanetary disks. So that means there’s only a couple of million years for a giant planet to form before the disk is gone. That’s not much time.
But if Pfalzner is right, then ISOs can act as the seeds for giant planets, giving them a kickstart that allows them to form before the protoplanetary disk is gone.
“Higher-mass stars are more efficient in capturing interstellar objects in their discs,” said Pfalzner. “Therefore, interstellar object-seeded planet formation should be more efficient around these stars, providing a fast way to form giant planets. And, their fast formation is exactly what we have observed.”
An artist’s illustration of a planet-forming protoplanetary disk around a young star. Observations show that these disks may not last long enough for giant planets to form. Image Credit: ESO/L. Calçada
ISOs acting as planetary seeds isn’t the only potential solution the planet formation time scale problem. The pebble accretion model has gained traction in recent years because it can explain how giant planets could form more quickly than thought. It posits that gas drag in the disk slows down pebbles so that when they collide they tend to stick together. It could reduce the time it takes for gas giant cores to form to as little as one million years.
It’s also possible that inner regions of a protoplanetary disk persist for longer than thought, giving giant planets more time to form. Astronomers know that the giant planets in our Solar System also migrated, adding another element to the big picture. It’s possible that no ISOs are needed.
Nature doesn’t always choose A or B. There may be multiple pathways to giant planets, and ISOs could be one of them. It’s entirely possible that Jupiter, Saturn, or one of the other giant planets only exist because of an ancient ISO from a distant star system that was captured by the young Sun.
Alex Michelsen, the 21-year-old from Southern California, makes his Laver Cup debut in San Francisco, roughly 430 miles from his birthplace. The fifth-highest-ranked American male plans to buoy Team World with his youthful energy as they vie for a third Laver Cup title on home soil.
How it’s going The talented right-hander advanced to the fourth round of January’s Australian Open, his first appearance in the second week of a major, by delivering upsets over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov. Michelsen, who favors hard courts, defeated Team World teammate Francisco Cerundolo and Tsitsipas on the grass courts of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle in June to reach the quarterfinals.
After reaching a career-high ranking of No. 30 in July, he secured a second career top 10 victory by dispatching Lorenzo Musetti in three sets in Toronto. Michelsen, whose favorite shot is his backhand, was seeded at the US Open, Wimbledon and Roland Garros for the first time, but lost in the opening round of all three majors. The Wimbledon 2022 junior boys’ doubles champion teamed up with different partners to secure notable doubles victories, including one over Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Sonego in Halle, and against doubles specialists Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, as well as Taylor Fritz and Jiri Lehecka, in Stuttgart.
Laver Cup’s appeal Michelsen recalled watching Laver Cup Prague 2017, the inaugural edition of the transcontinental event. He observed skillful performances and hunger from each side as they fought for the title. Eight years later, he’s stoked to represent Team World as they battle to wrestle the trophy back from defending champions Team Europe. “I can’t wait to wear this in San Francisco,” he said, after trying on his red jacket for the first time. “I’m super pumped.”
Alex Michelsen is looking forward to bringing the energy to Team World’s 2025 campaign in San Francisco.
The 21-year-old — a self-professed video game aficionado just like Fritz — is ready to receive feedback on his game from Team World’s new captain Andre Agassi, a long-time rival of Robby Ginepri, one of Michelsen’s two coaches. “Andre Agassi is just such a legend to our sport,” he said. “I actually met him once when I was 12 or 13 at a Las Vegas National Tournament, and [there’s] no chance he remembers,” he grinned.
Michelsen said he’s watched videos of Agassi competing in his prime, partly because his parents — collegiate tennis players — loved watching the eight-time Grand Slam champion. “What an unbelievable ball-striker … so clutch and such a great player,” Michelsen said of the Las Vegas resident. “He’s an incredible star for our sport and our country, so it’ll be a blast spending some time with him.”
Looking ahead to San Francisco Michelsen hopes fans will pack out Chase Center, which has a capacity of roughly 18,000 and serves as home to the Golden State Warriors.
“We got a lot of stars playing in California,” said the Los Angeles Clippers fan, who carries a soft spot for the Warriors because they share a home state. As one of two rookie players on Team World’s bench alongside João Fonseca, the Brazilian teenage sensation, who defeated the American in their only prior meeting in Madrid last year, Michelsen plans to provide copious encouragement to his side.
“I’m going to be getting up and yelling all sorts of things from the bench,” he promised. “I’m going to be as supportive as I can because it’s a team competition, you gotta do everything you can to get your teammate over the line.”
Asked what he plans to bring to Team World, Michelsen was quick to answer. “A lot of good vibes, a lot of good energy,” he said. “I’m probably not going to have a voice by Sunday if I’m doing it right … big energy from me.” On court, the American will back himself despite being in uncharted territory. Whoever he faces, Michelsen will aim to find the white lines of Laver Cup’s stately black court as he seeks a career-first win over Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune or Flavio Cobolli, who each own a 1-0 head-to-head over Michelsen, or Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud and Jakub Mensik, all of whom he hasn’t yet faced in an ATP Tour-level match.
“We’re going to do our best to get home with the W,” he said of Team World’s collective ambition. “We’re losing in the overall head-to-head against Europe, so I think we got to try to catch them.”
“If a patient attests to having one of these conditions or situations that places you at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, they are eligible for the vaccine under current FDA guidelines,” says Amy Thibault, a CVS Health spokesperson.
Yet confusion remains. For example, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists considers pregnancy a high-risk condition that increases the odds of COVID-19 complications, but last spring Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the removal of pregnant women from the vaccine recommendation list.
Kennedy also removed healthy children from the list, including those ages 6 to 23 months, whom the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) considers to be at high risk for COVID-19 complications. The AAP strongly recommends that all children in this age group get the updated shot, including those who live in a household with someone who is at high risk.
Most American Adults Qualify for a Vaccine Under the New Guidelines
The majority of American adults are still eligible for a COVID vaccine. In 2023, 60 percent of young adults and 78 percent of midlife adults had at least 1 of 12 of the most common chronic conditions associated with higher risk of severe COVID.
If you want a COVID vaccine and you don’t think you have any of the above conditions, you may still qualify due to a condition or situation that puts you at higher risk, says Thibault. “Consult your pharmacist or medical provider if you need help,” she says.
And if that still doesn’t work, it’s likely that you can find a healthcare professional who can write a prescription anyway, says David Wohl, MD, an infectious disease doctor and professor of medicine at UNC Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
“Most clinicians totally understand the benefits of the updated COVID-19 vaccines and are eager to help. This does place a tremendous burden on clinics that are fielding calls and issuing prescriptions,” says Dr. Wohl.
Pharmacies in Different States Have Different Rules
Pharmacies administer the vast majority of COVID vaccines in the United States. But pharmacy rules are state-specific, and not all states allow pharmacists to give shots outside of CDC recommendations without a prescription.
That’s why some pharmacies currently require prescriptions for people under 65, while others allow self-attestation of a high-risk condition (meaning you say you have a qualifying condition, and the pharmacist takes your word for it).
CVS pharmacies can administer COVID-19 vaccines without a prescription in 40 states, says Thibault, excluding:
Arizona
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Maine
North Carolina
Oregon
Utah
Virginia
West Virginia
“Once ACIP acts on the updated COVID-19 vaccines, or states take additional action to authorize pharmacy dispensing prior to ACIP recommendations, we’ll be able to offer the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines without a prescription in the remaining states,” says Thibault.
However, confusion about the vaccines means that even people who should clearly qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine without a prescription, like seniors, may face roadblocks. “Even people who are considered by the more restrictive approval of the vaccines to qualify are being told by pharmacies to get a doctor’s prescription,” says Wohl, who practices in North Carolina.
“Last night I was texted about two people in their seventies who were turned away from a local pharmacy for this reason,” he says.
The confusion extends to pharmacy chains; the most recent list from Walgreens on state-by-state availability, for example, differs from the one given by the CVS spokesperson.
Want to Get the Vaccine at Your Pharmacy? Check First
To get vaccinated for COVID-19, check with your pharmacy beforehand to see what they require, says Wohl. “If you only have to attest that you are eligible, then go. But if they require a prescription, contact your clinician, who can send an electronic prescription or just have you come into the clinic to get the shot,” he says.
For people without a regular doctor, local health departments may be the best bet. Many still run vaccine clinics and, in some cases, offer transportation for those who need it.
Will Insurance Cover the Latest COVID Shots?
This year’s insurance coverage is murkier than in past rollouts. Insurers generally follow CDC vaccine committee recommendations, and those haven’t been finalized yet. In the meantime, some plans may cover the vaccine, some may require a copay, and others may not cover the shot at all.
“Our understanding is that the COVID-19 vaccine is covered by most insurance plans at no cost for eligible patients. Patients should check with their insurer to determine whether the updated COVID-19 vaccine is covered by their individual health plan,” says Thibault.
“We’re working closely with our members to review [the] FDA announcement and will be monitoring the forthcoming meetings and recommendations from ACIP and CDC on considerations around coverage,” said Tina Stow, a spokesperson for America’s Health Insurance Plans, a national trade association and lobby for health insurance providers, in a USA Today report.
“Individual health plans and plan sponsors will be prepared to make coverage decisions informed by science, the latest medical evidence, and data. This process will be evidence-based, evaluate multiple sources of data, including but not limited to ACIP, and will be informed by customer needs,” said Stow.
“Call your pharmacy ahead of time and ask if you should expect a copay for the COVID vaccine. If your usual pharmacy isn’t sure or tells you that you’ll be charged, you can try another pharmacy to see if they are using a different policy,” says Caitlin Donovan, senior director at the Patient Advocate Foundation, a nonprofit that provides healthcare case management services and financial aid.
Out-of-pocket, a COVID-19 vaccine can cost more than $200.
Help paying for shot is available through the following resources:
PfizerRxPathways.com offers assistance for eligible uninsured adults.
Moderna partners with Project HOPE and Direct Relief to distribute free shots through community health centers.
The Patient Advocate Foundation provides co-pay relief for eligible families.
Local health departments may still provide free or low-cost options.
Bottom Line: How to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine
Getting vaccinated this year may take persistence. Here’s how to make it easier:
Call more than one pharmacy to compare requirements and availability.
Check your state health department website for local clinics and eligibility updates.
Ask your doctor about prescriptions if needed.
Call your insurance company to inquire about coverage beforehand, and bring your insurance card and a list of medications or diagnoses with you to the pharmacy.
When Is the Best Time to Get a COVID-19 Shot?
Both Wohl and Thibault agree that getting a COVID-19 vaccine now is a good idea — if you can get one.
“Wastewater shows a surge in SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-19 infection] in the water. Many people are getting sick,” says Wohl.
Wastewater testing looks for pieces of the COVID-19 virus in sewage, which people shed when they use the bathroom. By tracking whether those levels go up or down, public health officials can spot illness trends in the community, often before case counts rise.
Wohl says there’s also a chance that the ACIP, which has recently gone through significant member turnover, may whittle down the list of conditions that qualify for the COVID-19 vaccines for people under 65, he says.
Get it while you can, says Thibault. “It is hard to time this just right. I generally favor October, so that my antibody levels are higher during the holidays. But I am concerned access to these vaccines will become more restricted,” she says.
Why Vaccination Still Matters
COVID-19 is no longer the crisis it was in 2020, but the virus hasn’t gone away. Between October 2024 and June 2025, the CDC estimated there were as many as 16 million cases of COVID-19 in the United States.
That included between 270,000 and 440,000 hospitalizations and as many as 51,000 deaths. To put that in perspective, imagine more than 3 out of every 4 people who attended the 2025 Super Bowl dying.
Most people who wound up in the hospital because of COVID-19 had not received the updated vaccine.
Vaccination also reduces the risk of long COVID, which can cause lingering fatigue, brain fog, and breathing problems for months. Research suggests vaccines cut the risk of developing long COVID significantly.
Major medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians continue to recommend vaccination for all Americans 6 months and older with limited exceptions, such as in people who had an allergic reaction to a previous COVID vaccine.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. It was only the second ISO ever detected. Image Credit: By NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA) – https://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hvi/uploads/image_file/image_attachment/31897/STSCI-H-p1953a-f-1106×1106.png, Public Domain
An artist’s illustration of a planet-forming protoplanetary disk around a young star. Observations show that these disks may not last long enough for giant planets to form. Image Credit: ESO/L. Calçada
