Bay Area residents can get updated COVID-19 vaccines at Walgreens, Safeway and CVS pharmacies, with Kaiser Permanente set to begin flu shots Monday, Sept. 14, and COVID-19 vaccines Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The three major pharmacy chains confirmed the updated 2026-27 vaccines are on shelves, the Marin Independent Journal reported Friday, Sept. 11. Kaiser Permanente expects to launch its seasonal clinics this week, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Kaiser spokesperson Antonia Ehlers confirmed the timeline in an email to the Marin IJ.
The rollout comes as the Bay Area rides a late-summer COVID wave. Positive tests reached moderate levels in August, slightly above 9%, according to state data cited by the Marin IJ. Wastewater monitoring shows virus levels rose sharply through August and into early September.
Matt Willis, former Marin County public health officer and state correspondent for Your Local Epidemiologist California, a public health newsletter, said the wave has room to run.
"Based on current patterns, we still have plenty of the current wave ahead of us. It still hasn't peaked …" Willis told KQED by email.
Willis recommended getting the COVID vaccine before the wave subsides. He wrote in a newsletter the week of Sept. 7 that people should wait at least three months after their last booster, or four months after their last COVID infection, before getting the new shot. At those points, immunity begins to wane.
For flu shots, Willis said October is the best time to get vaccinated. Flu season typically peaks between December and February, according to the CDC.
The updated COVID vaccines target the XFG strain, also called Stratus, a descendant of the JN.1 lineage that scientists say is dominant. The FDA approved updated Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax versions for the 2026-27 season.
What it costs
For insured patients, the shots cost little or nothing. AHIP, a national trade group for health plans, said insurers will continue covering immunizations without cost-sharing through the end of 2027, the Marin IJ reported.
Without insurance, the price is steep. The out-of-pocket cost at CVS is $278.99, up 40% from $198.99 last year, according to KQED.
The California Department of Public Health said all recommended vaccines remain covered by state-regulated health insurance. Kaiser members who get vaccinated at an outside pharmacy may be able to get up to half the cost reimbursed, KQED reported.
Who should get vaccinated
The American Medical Association and other leading medical organizations recommend annual updated boosters for healthy adults and people with compromised immune systems, the Marin IJ reported. People 65 and older should get an annual dose plus a booster every six months. Children between 6 months and 23 months old should get the shot.
Standard pharmacies cannot vaccinate children age 2 and under. Parents of very young children should contact their pediatrician. CVS MinuteClinics can vaccinate children 18 months and older, according to KQED.
Uninsured or underinsured residents can check county health departments, community clinics or the state's My Turn website for public vaccine options.
