NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Should you get a COVID booster this fall?
It's a question on a lot of minds right now with a new COVID wave spreading across the country.
A CDC advisory committee is set to make a key recommendation on COVID boosters Tuesday, after approval from the FDA earlier Monday.
But the debate isn't so much about whether to approve them as it is for whom the boosters should be recommended: for everyone, or just for those who are more likely to get serious cases of COVID-19.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Dr. William Schaffner suggests the recommendation should apply to everyone.
"It's a simpler recommendation, we can absolutely make it clear when we say everyone, we mean everyone," Schaffner said.
Schaffner says such a straightforward recommendation can make a difference. If the CDC recommends only high-risk people get a vaccine, insurance companies wouldn't have to cover the cost of the vaccine for everyone.
"Whenever you parse the recommendations and target certain groups, there are circumstances from time to time where an individual presents to be vaccinated and they may be given a hard time by an insurance company representative," Schaffner said.
Both Moderna and Pfizer have said a commercial price for its vaccine could be as much as $130 if not covered by insurance.
But Shaffner says the CDC has plans for what it calls a Bridge Access Program, making vaccinations available free to those who want them who are not covered by insurance.
Shaffner says more details on that will be rolling out Tuesday.
