Did you know that 49% of people over 50 did not get a COVID vaccine in the last year?[1] The most common reason for not getting it? They didn’t think they needed to.

Despite controversy surrounding CDC guidelines for vaccines, every medical professional expert group who has weighed in agrees that COVID vaccines are still needed. Specific to adult patients, the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends all adults receive a COVID vaccine this season.

More importantly, COVID vaccines are still extremely effective. A recent study found that among immunocompetent adults (read: typical, not immunocompromised), the most recent season’s COVID vaccines were 40% effective at preventing hospitalization and 79% effective at preventing the need for a ventilator and from dying.[2] If you could do something in roughly 15 minutes that would prevent your risk of dying by nearly 8 in 10, would you do it? That’s the COVID vaccine.

While we tend to think of COVID and other respiratory illnesses as a fall and winter concern, it is definitely not too late to get a COVID vaccine this season. This illnesses’ “season” runs through the end of March

Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, as well as friends and family, play an important role in encouraging people to get their COVID vaccinations. Sharing information about why COVID vaccination is still important can go a long way to increasing vaccination rates to ultimately reduce hospitalizations, ventilator use, and deaths due to COVID.

[1] University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation. “Why aren’t more older adults getting flu or COVID-19 shots?” February 3, 2026. Available https://ihpi.umich.edu/news-events/news/why-arent-more-older-adults-getting-flu-or-covid-19-shots. Accessed February 5, 2026.

[2] Ma KC, Webber A, Lauring AS, et al. Estimated Effectiveness of 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccination Against Severe COVID-19. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(2):e2557415. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.57415.