Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and the editor at large for public health at KFF Health News, tells "CBS Mornings Plus" about changes to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's COVID-19 vaccine guidelines.

Recent updates to COVID vaccine guidelines have caused confusion regarding eligibility. The FDA has approved the updated vaccine for individuals aged 65 and over, and for those aged six months to 64 years with at least one risk factor for severe COVID. However, those in the latter age group can still access the vaccine off-label with a doctor's prescription. 

Currently, 34 states are proceeding with vaccinations based on FDA approval, while 16 states await further guidance, particularly from the CDC. The rollout has been described as inconsistent, with additional scrutiny on the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC. Several former CDC directors have publicly raised concerns about the current oversight and called for Congressional intervention.

What to know about updated COVID vaccine guidelines

There is confusion this morning over who will be able to get the updated COVID shot. Under new FDA guidelines, not everyone qualifies for a vaccination. 16 states are still waiting for guidance. CBS News medical contributor Dr. Selene Gounder is editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News and she joins us this morning here on set. Good morning. Good morning. All right, so let's start with just the lay of the land. What's happening here and what are these new guidelines? So I do want to clarify, it's not that the FDA approval of this season's vaccination means that people are not eligible. So it's approved for people 65 and over and it is approved for people six months to 64 years of age who have at least one risk factor for severe COVID. However, you can still get the vaccination off label if you are between the ages of six months and 64 with a doctor's prescription, conversation with your doctor, that sort of thing. So again, even our writers here are confused about what is going on here and it is a very confusing situation. And I think that's a really important point to just sort of nail home that go talk to your doctor if you still want to get this shot. You've called this sort of a hodgepodge when it comes to the rollout. What could be the impact here? Well, part of the reason for the hodgepodge is because you have 34 states that can already start vaccinating on the basis of the FDA approval. In the other 16 states, there are various different regulations, boards of pharmacies that have different ways of doing things. And in many of those, they're waiting for the CDC to weigh in, in addition to the FDA. The CDC is going to weigh in, in theory, September 18th and 19th. That's when their next vaccine advisory committee is supposed to take place. However, now you have Senator Cassidy saying that anything that comes out of this current CDC, given the chaos and poor leadership of the administration, anything that comes out of there is to be questioned. And he's calling for hearings to speak to Secretary Kennedy, the former CDC director, and others to clarify the situation. Real quick, there was an op-ed published this morning that includes the thoughts of nine former CDC directors who served Republicans and Democrats, raising big concerns about Secretary Robert Kennedy's oversight of Department of Health and Human Services and CDC more specifically. Yeah, they're raising a very big red flag. And I'm just going to read a couple lines here. Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy has done to the CDC and our nation's public health over the last several months is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency and unlike anything our country has ever experienced. And I think it's really important to say this is not about their partisan leanings. They have served under both Republicans and Democrats. And what they are trying to say is, look, Congress, you guys need to step in and exercise your authority over HHS and call that hearing with Secretary Kennedy. Dr. Slinghouner, thank you so much for that information.

The U.S. military struck a drug-carrying boat hailing from Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, as tensions spike between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan government. Charlie D'Agata has more.

Caracas

U.S. military strikes drug-carrying boat from Venezuela, Rubio says

The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday released over 33,000 pages of documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Washington

33,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein documents released by House panel

Belgium joins the ranks of Australia, France, Canada and the UK, all who have pledged to recognize a Palestinian state at the UNGA next week in a bid to ramp up pressure on the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza.

Brussels

Middle East Conflict

Belgium to recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly

A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 1,400 people, according to the Afghan Red Crescent Society. Thousands more were  injured.

Kunar

At least 1,400 killed in powerful Afghanistan earthquake

The death toll from Afghanistan's worst earthquake in years jumped to over 1,100 with thousands more injured, as difficult terrain hindered rescue efforts in isolated villages of the country's mountainous eastern region.

Taliban appeals for aid after quake kills over 1100 in Afghanistan

The leaders of Russia, China and India showcased a renewed commitment to co-operation on the second day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. Analysts says the friendliness is designed to project an unified alternative to the West.

Tianjin

Russia, China, India tout renewed co-operation

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was disrupted by jamming that authorities suspect was the result of Russian interference in Bulgaria.

Plovdiv

Von der Leyen's plane affected by alleged Russian GPS jamming

The world's leading genocide scholars' association has passed a resolution saying that the legal criteria have been met to establish Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, its president said on Monday (September 1).

Jerusalem

Israel committing genocide in Gaza, scholars' association says

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined a new global security and economic order at a regional summit on Monday (September 1), as India and Russia continued to express strong ties between their nations.

China's Xi, Russia's Putin share vision for new global order

A devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing more than 800 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said. CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams reports.

Kabul

Powerful earthquake in Afghanistan kills hundreds, destroys villages

Iran-backed Houthis raided offices of the United Nations’ food, health and children's agencies in Yemen’s capital, detaining several UN employees, officials said. The rebels tightened security across Sanaa following the Israeli killing of their prime minister and several Cabinet members.

Sana'a

Houthis raid UN offices in Yemen, detain 11 employees

A large buildup of U.S. naval forces in and around the Southern Caribbean has officials in Caracas and experts in the United States asking: is the move aimed at combating drug cartels, as the Trump administration has suggested, or is it for something else entirely?

U.S. builds up forces in Caribbean as officials, experts concerned

Officials from the Trump administration spent the weekend pushing back against a U.S. appeals court ruling that most tariffs against Canada were illegal. Economic adviser Peter Navarro called the decision politically motivated.

Global Tariffs

Trump officials push back after court rules tariffs illegal

Israel's security cabinet is considering a plan to seize Gaza City with attacks ramping up over the weekend. The Israeli military has now ended a temporary pause of military action around aid delivery locations ahead of an expected 'full-scale assault'.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israel intensifying attacks ahead of planned seizure of Gaza City

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says he's making every effort to stop President Trump from using the military to "invade states." But the White House claims the National Guard is needed to stop violent crime in Chicago.

Chicago

Trump threatens to send military to Chicago over crime

A young boy who had wandered away from his parents ended up on a closed monorail at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania this weekend. A bystander helped rescue the boy as a gathering crowd cheered. It's not clear how he made his way onto the monorail.

Hershey

Boy rescued from monorail track at Pennsylvania amusement park

A flotilla of boats carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, has set sail from Barcelona. On board are organisers from 44 countries, who say they're trying to break Israel's siege on the Strip.

Barcelona

Greta Thunberg onboard second aid flotilla heading for Gaza Strip

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi was committed to improving ties with China in a key meeting with President Xi Jinping, as the two leaders discussed the need to expand trade and investment ties against the backdrop of U.S. tariffs.

Beijing

Modi meets with Xi, vows to improve China ties

Pakistan's eastern Punjab province is facing one of the worst flood emergencies in recent history. Authorities say raging waters have affected the lives of more than 2 million people.

Punjab

Pakistan's Punjab province battered by historic flood

China’s Xi Jinping has welcomed Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi and leaders from around 20 countries to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, a high-security gathering aimed at boosting Beijing’s influence and promoting "a multipolar world order."

Xi aims to show global south unity with Modi and Putin

Russia's Vladimir Putin is among a dozen leaders attending the regional security summit, which comes at a crunch moment in talks over his war on Ukraine, and for a summit that's demonstrating a strong show of unity among Global South leaders.

Putin arrives in China for key regional security summit

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson detailed his plan Saturday to resist President Trump's threatened immigration crackdown in his city. CBS News has learned the Trump administration plans to intensify immigration enforcement in the city as early as next week.

Chicago mayor pushes back on Trump's immigration crackdown

Russian strikes shook the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine overnight Friday, hitting a five-story apartment building, killing at least one person and injuring dozens more.

Zaporizhzhia

Russia continues assault on Ukrainian cities

For the first time since this week's deadly mass shooting at a Minneapolis church, which killed two young students and wounded more than a dozen people, a devastated community gathered Saturday at the site to attend Mass.

Minneapolis

Mass held at site of Minneapolis church shooting

The United States says it will not allow Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to New York next month for a United Nations gathering of world leaders, where several U.S. allies are set to recognise Palestine as a state.

New York

U.S bars Palestinian leadership from attending UN

The Department of Homeland Security is preparing for an immigration crackdown in Chicago as early as next week, sources told CBS News. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker blasted the Trump administration's plans.

Chicago immigration crackdown could happen next week, sources say

The Israeli military on Friday declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” before a new offensive in the Palestinian enclave's largest city. Israel is moving forward with plans to seize Gaza City despite growing international pressure to end the nearly two-year conflict.

Israel declares Gaza City a 'dangerous combat zone'

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been blocked from attending the UN General Assembly in New York next month. That's as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled visas for the Palestinian delegation.

U.S. blocks Palestinian officials from attending UN general assembly

The death toll of a devastating Russian air assault in Kyiv earlier this week has been revised upward to 25. Now European allies suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing U.S. President Donald Trump if he runs out the clock on Washington's peace efforts.

Breakdown