Most Utahns should be able to get a vaccine without a prescription, thanks to new guidance from Utah regulators.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Vials of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine are stored in a freezer at the Salt Lake Public Health Center in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025.

Changing leaves and dropping temperatures mean it’s officially autumn — which also brings the beginning of vaccine season.

The guidance around COVID-19 vaccinations also has been changing, but here is the latest information you need to know to get a booster in Utah.

Who can get a vaccine?

Anyone in Utah aged six months or older should be able to get a vaccine in consultation with their pharmacist — with no prescription required, state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said, thanks to updated guidance issued Friday by the Utah Division of Professional Licensing.

Where can people get a vaccine?

In Salt Lake County, residents who qualify (more on that below) will be able to get a vaccine starting Oct. 1, Salt Lake County Health Department spokesperson Nicholas Rupp said.

Summit County is offering a similar timeline, Rupp said. Residents should contact their local health departments or pharmacies for more information on specific vaccine clinics.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Vials of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine are stored in a freezer at the Salt Lake Public Health Center in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025.

What do you need to qualify for a vaccine in Salt Lake County?

Prescriptions are not required, and those age 65 and older can just request a booster.

But individuals between 6 months old and 64 years old will have to sign a statement or “attestation” that they have an underlying health condition that would put them at risk for a severe case of COVID-19.

Those conditions are defined in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, and they include factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, pregnancy or cancer.

The person signing a statement does not need to specify which condition they have, Rupp said.

What does the vaccine cost?

The Salt Lake County Health Department will bill the health plans it accepts; a list of those plans can be found on the county website.

For those who would like to pay out-of-pocket themselves, the vaccination costs $105-$158 Rupp added, depending on the age of the patient and which brand of vaccine they receive.

Can you get a vaccination at your local pharmacy?

National chains like Walgreens and CVS also offer COVID-19 boosters.

In Utah, CVS plans to offer vaccines without a prescription as soon as Tuesday, due to the new guidance from the Division of Professional Licensing, a spokesperson said. Without that guidance, the chain required patients to have a prescription.

Walgreens will allow anyone aged six months or older to get a COVID-19 booster as long as they discuss it with a pharmacist, a Walgreens spokesperson said.

Why has guidance on COVID-19 boosters changed so much recently?

There is a three-step process for vaccines to become available in the U.S.

First, the Food and Drug Administration must approve a vaccine for use nationwide. For the 2025-2026 COVID vaccine, the FDA approved the booster for those 65 and older, along with those between 6 months old and 64 years old who have an underlying health condition, Rupp said.

Then, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices decides on guidance for how to use the vaccine, Rupp continued. The committee, which is typically made up of virologists and infectious disease experts, reviews studies and data to make a recommendation on who should get certain immunizations and how often, along with dosage amounts, Rupp added.

On Sept. 19, the committee — also known as the ACIP — made a rare recommendation that was not in alignment with the FDA, Rupp said.

ACIP approved the vaccine for everyone ages 6 months and older, regardless of whether an individual has an underlying health condition, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“They did say, ‘We want to highlight the greatest benefit to receiving the vaccine if you’re under 65 is if you have an underlying health condition, and you should have that conversation with your physician,’” Rupp said.

“They were really careful to call that out — that it’s best for people who have an underlying condition if they’re under 65,” he said, “but they didn’t say it’s only approved for people who have an underlying health condition if they’re under 65, which is what the FDA did.”

Once ACIP makes its recommendation, the director of the Centers for Disease Control will review that guidance and determine the official CDC recommendation for the country, Rupp added.

The interim director of the CDC has not yet adopted ACIP’s recommendation, so Utah providers could not adopt the committee’s guidance yet.

But the Division of Professional Licensing’s recent letter allows Utah providers to adopt ACIP’s guidelines.

“It is now much more of an option for many people,” said state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen.

“But I would say it probably will take a few days, if not a week, for a lot of the pharmacies to get the stock in place, [to] get ready to do this,” Nolen added. “So I would still suggest people call ahead and make sure that where they’re intending to go has the vaccine ready and are able to administer it.”

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