The future of COVID vaccinations in the Seattle area is murky as new federal limits sow uncertainty over cost and eligibility.

Why it matters: Obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine shot may require some extra lifting this fall.

Driving the news: Providers don't yet have the 2025-26 vaccine supplies and local access hinges on federal recommendations due later this month, spokespeople with local health authorities tell Axios.

• State Department of Health spokesperson Raechel Sims says, however, that the state is still recommending COVID vaccination for everyone 6 months and older.

What's happening: Typically, the FDA approves COVID vaccines and a CDC advisory panel decides who should get them, according to Public Health — Seattle & King County.

• But last week, Kennedy announced new FDA limits on who is eligible for COVID vaccines even as the FDA issued approvals for updated boosters, Axios reported.
• The move strips pharmacists of blanket authority to dispense shots, meaning most people will need a prescription from their doctor.
• Seniors 65 and older remain broadly eligible, but healthy adults and youths will only qualify without a prescription if they have underlying conditions.

The big picture: The CDC is reeling from leadership turmoil after director Susan Monarez was fired and senior immunization official Demetre Daskalakis resigned, accusing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of undermining trust in vaccines.

What they're saying: "You're not alone if you're feeling confused," said Eric Chow in a recent Public Health — Seattle & King County blog post.

• Chow added that, like other parents, he's been waiting to learn whether his kids will be able to get a COVID shot this fall.
• He said this year's FDA decision to limit who can get the vaccine without a prescription takes "a much narrower focus than in previous years," and warned the restrictions could make it harder for families to stay protected.

Threat level: The policy change comes as COVID-19 cases have been surging across the country amid the rise of the Stratus variant.

What's next: The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is set to vote in mid-September on who gets the new shot.

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Seattle is emerging as one of America's top sober-friendly cities, with recent research placing it fifth for booze-free vacations.

Why it matters: A record number of Americans are rethinking their relationship with drinking.

Driving the news: National Gallup data released this month show the share of adults who say even moderate drinking is bad for health has reached a historic high.

• Younger adults in particular are driving the trend, with drinking among people under 35 falling nine percentage points since 2023.
• As more people rethink their approach to alcohol, Seattle's hospitality scene is leaning into the sober-curious movement year-round.

Zoom in: Missouri-based Sana Lake Recovery scored Seattle high for "sober travel," citing the city's hundreds of hiking trails, dozens of museums, high number of fitness studios and growing lineup of mocktail bars.

Plus: Many regular bars now serve nonalcoholic cocktails with the same craft and flair as their boozy counterparts.

What they're saying: "As more Americans embrace sober living, there's been a rise in demand for travel destinations that help to support sobriety," Sana's chief clinical officer Ashley Murry tells Axios.

• "Our study aimed to highlight the U.S. cities where visitors can enjoy themselves beyond the nightlife scene."

The bottom line: The rise of sober living is reshaping bar culture, public health, and what's on tap — and Seattle is here for it.

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🪆 More than 11,000 fake Labubu dolls worth a half million dollars were seized by Customs and Border Patrol in Seattle. (KOMO News)

⚖️ Seattle is suing Glock and local retailers over handguns that can be converted into illegal machine guns. (KIRO 7)

🏢 Despite return-to-office mandates, more than a third of Seattle offices remain empty as tech-sector job losses and slower hiring outpace demand for workspace. (Seattle Times)

🏞️ Seattle abruptly fenced off Capitol Hill's Seven Hills Park for a 60-day break over encampment concerns, saying it's part of a broader review of that park and three others. (CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News)

🎸 The long-running Nirvana exhibit at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture will close after 14 years. (KIRO 7)

The average fall temperature in Seattle rose 2.2° between 1970 and 2024, a new analysis finds.

Driving the news: Fall temperatures rose in 98% of the 243 cities analyzed in a new report from Climate Central, a climate research group.

• Among cities with an increase, temperatures rose an average of 2.8°F.

Zoom in: Reno, Nev (+7.7°F); El Paso, Texas (+6.5°F) and Las Vegas, Nev. (+6.2°F) saw the biggest increases over the covered period.

How it works: Climate Central's report is based on NOAA data, and defines "fall" as the entirety of September, October and November, also know as meteorological fall.

• Astronomical fall, on the other hand, doesn't start until Sept. 22 this year.

🗓️ Mark your calendar with our Event Board.

Alliance for Education Convening Seattle Community Luncheon at Hyatt Regency Seattle on Sept 17: Register before this Friday to attend. The event will highlight real-time bright spots from the perspective of a Seattle Public Schools principal and students that prove when we stay the course and work together, lasting change is possible in public education.

UWPCE Expert Insights: Transitioning into the Nonprofit Sector Online via Zoom on Sept 10: Learn what skills are in demand in the nonprofit sector and how to navigate the shift into mission-driven work in a short webinar hosted by our expert instructors.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

We're back with another challenge to test your city smarts.

Can you place this shiny sphere?

By trains that rumble far and near

An office park by tracks well-known

Where is this spot not far from home

Reply to this email to submit your guesses.