COVID-19 Confirmed in U.S. Heartland

With a winter storm bringing chilly weather to the central states, keeping more people inside, the Walgreens Respiratory Index has also identified an unhealthy trend as 2025 draws to a close.

As of December 31, 2025, the leading states reporting COVID-19-related medications and vaccinations utilization at Walgreens pharmacies include Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, and Ohio.

Recently, the U.S. CDC reported that COVID-19 vaccination is an effective option for protecting children in these Heartland states and throughout the USA.

In early December, the CDC confirmed that the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccination offered additional protection against COVID-19 for children in a population where some individuals had preexisting immunity from previous vaccinations, prior infections, or both, compared to those who were not vaccinated.

The CDC's MMWR also noted on December 11, 2025, that the impact of transitioning from universal vaccination to shared clinical decision-making (individual-based decision-making) on COVID-19 vaccination coverage or effectiveness in children is not well understood. This highlights the need for ongoing monitoring of the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.