The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine for most Rhode Islanders 6 months of age and older to protect against serious illness from COVID-19 over the coming weeks and months.
"COVID-19 vaccine can help prevent serious illness and hospitalization, and it is an important tool to support our healthcare system as a whole in Rhode Island," said Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. "Rhode Island has some of the best vaccination rates in the country because we make vaccine access a priority, and because we base our recommendations on science and data."
Children 6 months to 2 years of age and adults 19 years of age and older (including pregnant women) should be vaccinated. For healthy children between 2 years and 18 years of age, parents should talk to a healthcare professional about whether COVID-19 vaccine should be administered.
Vaccination is particularly important for people 65 years of age and older and anyone who is at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Health conditions that put someone at higher risk for severe COVID-19 include obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma or chronic lung disease, and being immunocompromised. Additionally, pregnancy puts someone at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy. Vaccination can protect women and their infants after birth.
These COVID-19 vaccine recommendations come after Governor Dan McKee, RIDOH, and the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) announced steps last week to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccine. RIDOH and OHIC issued a Bulletin to third-party payers to ensure coverage of COVID-19 vaccine for Rhode Islanders 6 months of age and older. Additionally, RIDOH issued a standing order to also allow pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccine to all patients who are 3 years of age and older. (While pharmacies can still set their own vaccination criteria and may require a patient to self-attest to having a condition that puts you at risk for severe COVID-19, a majority of Rhode Islanders fall into at least one of these categories of conditions and can be vaccinated in a pharmacy.)
Rhode Island's recommendations for the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine are in alignment with the recommendations from several major medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Collectively. These recommendations are also in alignment with the guidance issued by the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a regional coalition of public health agencies.
The 2025-2026 COVID-19 is available in pharmacies throughout Rhode Island and should be in the offices of many primary care providers in the coming weeks. If a child is uninsured or does not have a healthcare professional, RIDOH can connect that child to a place to be vaccinated, free of charge. To learn more, visit health.ri.gov/vaccines or call RIDOH at 401-222-5960.
For more information on where and how to get vaccinated, visit: https://health.ri.gov/immunization#vaccine-clinic