Something important you can do NOW to support HHS workers, plus a warning about vaccine access.

Today I’m going to keep it short, with a request for action, and a warning.

The Action:
On August 20, over 750 former and current staff of HHS submitted a signed letter to RFK Jr. providing cited information about the ways he is “complicit in dismantling America’s public health infrastructure and endangering the nation’s health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information.” But they weren’t just complaining about him; they were asking him to step up, and do his job. Specifically, they wrote:

To uphold his pledge to safeguard the health of the American public, by September 2, 2025, we ask Secretary Kennedy to do the following:

1. Stop spreading inaccurate health information: Cease and publicly disavow the ongoing dissemination of false and misleading claims about vaccines, infectious disease transmission, and America’s public health institutions.

2. Affirm CDC’s scientific integrity: Acknowledge and affirm that CDC’s work is rooted in scientific, non-partisan evidence focused on improving the health of every American.

3. Guarantee the safety of the HHS workforce: Ensure that the HHS workforce can carry out its duties in an environment free from imminent threats of harm. This should include emergency procedures and alerts that are fully functional for all workers and taking vigorous action to remove high-profile online material targeting the federal workforce such as the widely seen “DEI watchlists.”

The deliberate destruction of trust in America’s public health workforce puts lives at risk. We urge you to act in the best interest of the American people—your friends, your families, and yourselves.

You can read the rest of the letter for yourself, here.

The signatures received by former CDC, NIH, and other HHS staff are important, and brave. But this is a time for all the rest of us to step up, too. Between right now and one week from today (Tuesday, September 2^nd), this letter is open for members of the public to add their names in support, and sign on to its message. I just signed on and it took me less than 2 minutes.

When you click, you’ll see their request: We are asking current and former HHS employees, and allies to use their voice to condemn disinformation and misinformation. We need you to use your first amendment rights to stand with CDC for a better future. We are stronger together!

This petition was sent to me by a long-time friend and colleague who made it clear that signatures from the public really matter. They may not change RFK Jr.’s mind, but federal workers at HHS are watching how many people sign. They’re watching to see whether Americans really do care about them, and their dedication to keeping people safe in this country even when they’re undermined at every turn. Let’s show them we care, and we support them. Please click here and add your name!

Now the warning:

Especially if you’re under age 65 and not in a high risk group for severe COVID-19 infection, it may be extremely difficult for you to get a COVID-19 vaccine this fall. In fact, it may already be too late.

Mid-week last week, Your Local Epidemiologist and others reported that the FDA was expected to license this fall’s new COVID-19 vaccine on Friday or shortly afterward, and that the word was that the vaccine label would be restricted to adults age 65+ and people with one or more high-risk conditions. (By the way, this isn’t surprising. ICYMI, just days after being asked to resign, Vinay Prasad was unbelievably rehired as head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at FDA, and as I’ve discussed before he’s been on a quest to limit COVID-19 vaccine access in the U.S. for years.)

Friday has come and gone, and FDA hasn’t licensed anything yet. But, once that happens people who don’t meet the label requirements for the vaccine may not be able to access it at all—or if they can, they may have to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket because it will be what’s considered “off-label.”

Your Local Epidemiologist explained it very well, so I’ll quote her here:

Can I get [the COVID vaccine] off-label?

Technically, yes, but it’s complicated. Off-label prescribing is legal and common for many drugs, but vaccines are different because:

• Pharmacies often won’t—or can’t—administer vaccines off-label, based on corporate policies and state laws governing scope of practice. More than 90% of fall vaccines come from pharmacies.

• Insurers may not cover off-label use as this type of coverage currently varies widely by insurer, even when deemed medically appropriate by a physician.

• Although physicians should be able to prescribe and administer off-label, many won’t because of perceived liability challenges and confusion.

• Many electronic systems (like immunization registries) may block documentation or reimbursement.

So while a provider could prescribe it off-label, in practice, it’s likely that most people won’t be able to access it that way.

When YLE made this post on August 18, she recommended that people likely to fall into the “off-label” group who want a booster this fall seek it out immediately, before the FDA label changes. But if you haven’t already done it, it might be too late, even though the FDA label hasn’t yet changed.

I’m part of a group called Defend Public Health, which is a coalition of public health researchers, healthcare workers, advocates and allies fighting to protect the health of all from the Trump administration’s cruel attacks on proven, science-based public health policies. On the listserv, there’s been a lot of chatter about this topic from public health workers around the country. The majority of those writing who have tried to obtain a vaccine have been unable.

One person wrote, “I can’t find anyone in our area who will give us one. I’ve been trying to get a booster for my 3 yr old daughter and all we can get is ‘she’s up to date’ so they won’t give her one, nevermind that the updated version almost certainly won’t be available to her…If anyone knows of a pediatrician who would help us out in the Bay Area, CA, let me know please!” Another wrote “My local pharmacy (upstate NY) has the COVID-19 vaccine, but denied it to me as I am not immunocompromised (I guess I was supposed to lie) and told me to ‘call the CDC’ if I had a problem with it.” And another: “I just called 3 local pharmacies and all had it pulled. So anyone interested should make calls quickly.”

If you go to Vaccines.gov it looks like it works, but you have to enter a zip code, and no 5-digit zip code works (at least none of the ones I tried), so it’s effectively broken. Vaccinefinder.org will help you find a list of pharmacies that offer vaccines in your zip code, but you have to contact each one directly to see whether they have available COVID-19 vaccine. Vaxassist.com will help you narrow to which pharmacies might have COVID-19 vaccines now—though you may be wise to call and verify before going to an appointment booked online through this system, since the site does have a disclaimer at the top that reads “Our site is currently being updated following new CDC recommendations. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for the latest information.” (Note that Vaxassist.com is run by Pfizer, but it will also help you locate places you can get doses of Moderna and Novavax near you.)

I’m not saying you can’t get the vaccine—or that you won’t be able to—but I want you to know that it might be hard, and getting harder. Remember that these vaccines don’t protect you very well from getting or spreading COVID-19 (especially after the first couple months), but they are superb at helping keep you alive, out of the hospital, and safe from Long COVID. The benefits of the vaccine dramatically outweigh the risks for pretty much everyone, no matter what the federal government is saying right now. Don’t let them convince you otherwise.