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9h ago

Colorado and Pennsylvania Act to Keep COVID-19 Shots in Pharmacies as Chains Curb Access Under New Rules

State actions are filling a gap created by delayed federal guidance.

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Medical groups warn that new unclear FDA limitations on who can receive the COVID vaccine may make it harder for postpartum people and healthy children to access the vaccine.
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Overview

  • Colorado’s chief medical officer issued a statewide standing order effective Friday allowing pharmacies to vaccinate anyone 6 months and older without individual prescriptions, with an emergency Board of Pharmacy session set to protect providers.
  • Pennsylvania’s State Board of Pharmacy voted to let pharmacists follow guidance from medical groups such as AAP and ACOG rather than wait for CDC’s ACIP, clearing pharmacies to offer COVID vaccines across the state.
  • CVS and Walgreens now require prescriptions in some states and will not administer COVID vaccines in Massachusetts, Nevada and New Mexico, with policies varying by state law and the absence of ACIP recommendations.
  • ACIP has not yet issued 2025–26 recommendations after an HHS-led overhaul, with a meeting scheduled for Sept. 18–19, and insurers are evaluating coverage for people outside FDA’s limited high‑risk groups.
  • The FDA on Aug. 27 approved updated Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax shots for narrower high‑risk populations and withdrew Pfizer’s authorization for under‑5s, as national COVID test positivity rose to 11.2%.