Barriers to COVID Vaccination: A Growing Risk for West Virginians

In October 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made a dramatic shift in its vaccine policy. For the first time since the pandemic began, the CDC dropped its universal recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination. Instead of urging all Americans six months and older to receive the shot, the agency now says the decision should be left to “individual-based decision-making” between patients and their doctors.

On the surface, this may sound like a return to personal choice. But in practice, it has created confusion, barriers, and new risks for families here in West Virginia and across the nation.

💉 What Changed

• Universal recommendations ended. COVID vaccines are no longer broadly recommended for everyone. Instead, they are officially limited to older adults (65+) and those with underlying health conditions.

• Insurance coverage is uncertain. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to cover vaccines recommended by the CDC’s advisory panel. But because the CDC no longer recommends the vaccine for all, coverage is no longer guaranteed. Healthy adults under 65 may now face out-of-pocket costs of up to $140 per dose.

• Access is shrinking. Pharmacies and clinics are less likely to stock or administer vaccines that fall outside CDC’s universal guidance, leaving even medically qualified patients struggling to find providers.

  
  

🏥 Turmoil Inside the CDC

These policy changes have not come without consequences. In recent weeks, the CDC has been rocked by mass firings, resignations, and retirements. Reports confirm that more than 1,300 employees were issued layoff notices, with hundreds later reinstated amid public backlash.

Among those affected were senior leaders in immunization, outbreak response, and even the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — the nation’s most trusted source of public health data. Some longtime experts resigned in protest, citing the politicization of science and the erosion of America’s public health infrastructure.

⚠️ The Bigger Picture

This turmoil reflects a broader anti-vaccination mentality that has taken hold in Washington. Instead of strengthening public health, the current administration has weakened it — dismantling the very systems designed to protect us.

For West Virginians, the stakes are high:

• Our state has one of the oldest populations in the country, making us especially vulnerable to COVID complications.

• Rural communities already face limited access to healthcare providers. Adding new barriers to vaccination only increases the risk.

• Families who want to protect themselves may now be forced to pay out of pocket or go without.

  
  

✊ A Call for Unity and Action

This is not just about one vaccine. It’s about whether we allow politics to override science, and whether we protect the health of our neighbors.

West Virginians deserve:

• Clear, science-based guidance from public health leaders.

• Affordable access to vaccines and preventive care.

• Transparency and accountability from government agencies entrusted with our safety.

  
  

As your candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates, I will fight to ensure that public health decisions put people first, not politics. We cannot afford to gamble with the health of our families, our seniors, and our communities.

Together, we can build a United West Virginia — one that values ideas, action, and unity over division and denial.