Ask Congress to Reinstate Universal COVID Vaccine Access for All Ages
Write your members of congress now to stop dangerous restrictions on COVID vaccines and support vaccine access for all ages; Mark your calendar for CDC public comment open 6/9 through 6/20
Recent restrictions on COVID vaccine access in the US are dangerous and unethical. People of all ages are at risk of severe consequences of a COVID infection, including pregnant people and both children and adults who were previously healthy. COVID vaccination reduces the risk of symptomatic disease, severe disease, and disability. The decisions to restrict COVID vaccine access were made by political appointees without consulting the appropriate expert advisory committees or allowing public comment periods. The new restrictions are likely to impact vaccine availability and insurance coverage. I am very concerned additional restrictions may be imposed in the near future.
People of all ages continue to benefit from COVID vaccination at least once a year, and restrictions create unnecessary barriers to vaccination. Please join me in asking Congress to take action to reinstate universal access to COVID vaccines for all ages.
How to Take Action
Find your elected officials
https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Find your two senators and one house representative. You should contact elected officials who represent you, not those for other states or other districts.
Draft your comment
Use the talking points or sample comment below to draft your comment. Please feel free to use and modify the text freely for any advocacy purposes. Personalize your comment by adding a sentence or two about why updated COVID vaccine access is important to you, your loved ones, or your community.
Submit your comment using your representative’s contact form and/or call to leave a message or talk to their staff
If you call your representative, be sure to give your full name and address to confirm that you are their constituent. If you are a registered voter, let them know this as well.
Talking Points
COVID vaccines must be made available universally and at least every year for people of all ages, 6 months and up, regardless of medical conditions.
COVID vaccines must continue to be updated regularly, at least once a year.
Public health officials must consult expert advisory committees, meet in open sessions, and allow public comment on vaccine policy decision-making.
Sample Comment to Members of Congress
I urge you to take action to reinstate universal updated COVID vaccine access for people of all ages. All of us must have regular access to updated COVID vaccines, which must be made available widely and must be covered by health insurance. Public health officials, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Martin Makary, Jay Bhattacharya, and Vinay Prasad, have severely restricted access to COVID vaccines. They have taken this action without the appropriate expert advisory committee input and without opportunities for public comment. Please hold our public health leaders accountable to the required open process for policy development and implementation.
The new policies impose harmful restrictions on COVID vaccines, which limit vaccine access for children, pregnant people, and adults under age 65. The scientific evidence is clear: COVID vaccination within the last year reduces the risk of symptoms, severe disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people.
Please take action to reinstate updated COVID vaccine access and insurance coverage for all ages. Thank you for your attention in this important matter.
Next Steps
Share this information with friends, family, and interested communities. If possible, help others contact their elected officials in support of reinstating universal COVID vaccine access.
Mark your calendar for June 9 through June 20, when public comments will be open for the CDC ACIP meeting June 25-27, which is slated to include discussion of COVID vaccine recommendations.
Public comments led to the universal COVID vaccine recommendation for Fall 2024. In April 2025, the committee indicated a desire to move to risk-based rather than universal COVID vaccine recommendations, but a flood of public comments can make an impact. A strong statement from this CDC committee for universal COVID vaccine access would be an important rebuke to the recent restrictions.
Get up-to-date on COVID vaccines as well as other recommended vaccines, and encourage others to do so. For Wisconsinites, you can check your vaccination records at the Wisconsin Immunization Registry, and many other states also have online registries.
Adults aged 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised are eligible for a second (spring/summer) shot of the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine, if they have not had a COVID vaccine in the last two months. Immunocompromised people may receive additional doses (beyond two) in consultation with their healthcare provider.
Adults who have not had a 2024-2025 COVID vaccine are also eligible now.
Children aged 6 months to 17 years who have not received a COVID vaccine this year are also eligible but may need additional documentation for insurance coverage, due to the recent change to “shared clinical decision-making” rather than a universal recommendation in CDC’s children’s vaccine schedule.
Amid the changing guidelines, there may be confusion among vaccine providers. Additional documentation or follow up may be needed for vaccination or insurance coverage. If you can, help others navigate any barriers to vaccination.
Thank you for reading and for taking action for universal access to COVID vaccines.
Please see my FDA VRBPAC written comment for scientific references supporting universal COVID vaccination. For further reading on COVID vaccines, see my vaccine update from fall 2024.