What to know about seasonal vaccines and how to access them
Along with beautiful leaf colors, the fall is also the beginning of respiratory illness season. This year access to vaccines to help prevent the spread of seasonal illness has been top of mind for many. The past several weeks have been marked by confusion around COVID-19 vaccine guidelines, as federal agencies have made changes not reflected in the recommendations from some states’ health departments.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a vaccine skeptic, pushed for changes to the federal guidelines for the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2024-2025 guidelines recommended the shot for all adults, and that parents of children ages six months to 18 years discuss the vaccine with their child’s health care provider. The guidelines for 2025-2026 will likely change.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, is a panel within the CDC that issues recommendations that usually become CDC policy and guidelines. Last week they voted to change the recommendations for the COVID-19 vaccine, targeting only those adults 65 and older. While the ACIP narrowly voted against requiring a prescription for the vaccine, the option was widely discussed, and prompted some state health agencies to either adopt or officially reject a prescription requirement.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced in a press release on Monday, Sept. 22 that the state would continue to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for a wider swath of the population. The press release stated that the guidance is based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which all recommend maintaining the option of the vaccine for people older than 6 months, “without additional barriers.”
Dr. Paul Terrill, medical director at the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic (SMC) in Grand Marais, told WTIP that the established science points to the vaccine being safe and appropriate for the vast majority of people, and that the MDH guidelines reflect that. “There’s specific risk groups, people that have chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, immune deficiencies and things like that, they are particularly recommended to get it.” Terrill said. “But if you look at the bottom line on all these recommendations, it’s anyone who wishes to reduce the risk of getting COVID.”
The CDC has maintained consistent recommendations about the flu shot, namely, that everyone over 6 months of age should get a flu shot every year.
Though the confusion about federal and state guidelines raised questions about whether insurance companies will continue to cover the COVID-19 shot, according to SMC Outreach Coordinator Liv Thompson, the clinic has not received indications that coverage will change. Thompson said, “We do anticipate that health insurance will be covering both the flu and covid 19 vaccine this year, but we always recommend that people call their insurance companies to check with their individual plans.”
SMC will be hosting a series of vaccination events, both in Grand Marais at the clinic, and in other locations, including on the West End and up the Gunflint Trail. All patients will require an appointment, but Thompson said that the clinic will continue filling appointment slots through the morning of the event. She added, however, that patients should still make their appointments as early as possible, in part to allow them to complete paperwork ahead of time, and keep the events running on time.
While the events will focus on COVID-19 and flu shots, Terrill said he also recommends that older patients who have not received the RSV vaccine consider doing so. He also said that the pneumococcal vaccine, which can help prevent several illnesses, like pneumonia and meningitis, is now recommended for those 50 and older, a drop in age from the previously recommended 65 years old.
In addition to the arrival of season vaccines, the SMC is also preparing for a change in their electronic health records (EHR) systems. The clinic is switching to use the EPIC system, which Terrill said is the most widely used health records system in the country. He said this will make communicating with other health care providers outside of the clinic easier for providers, and make health records more easily accessible for patients.
Thompson said, however, that despite using the same EHR as other hospitals, SMC is not joining another health care provider group. She said, “We’re still going to be an independent, federally qualified health center. We’re still going to have the same leadership, the same mission. You’re still going to receive the same high quality care. It’s just that our team’s going to be a lot happier with their new EHR.”
For more information on vaccine outreach events, visit the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic website. There will also be two events in October geared specifically toward children and families. To make an appointment call 218-387-2330.
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Dr. Paul Terrill and Liv Thompson from the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. Audio of that interview can be found below.
Kirsten Wisniewski September 25, 2025
