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Pharmacies Curb COVID Vaccines as States Race to Keep Access After FDA Narrows Approval

Federal recommendations remain pending, leaving state rules to determine who can get the shots.

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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

  • The FDA on Aug. 27 granted updated 2025–26 approvals with narrowed eligibility, authorizing Moderna for ages 6 months and up, Pfizer for 5 and up, and Novavax for 12 and up, largely for seniors and people at higher risk.
  • CVS and Walgreens have shifted to state‑by‑state policies, requiring prescriptions in places like New York and pausing vaccination in Massachusetts, Nevada and New Mexico, while allowing walk‑ins in states such as Alabama.
  • Many pharmacies are constrained because their authority depends on CDC/ACIP recommendations, and the overhauled ACIP will not meet to consider the shots until Sept. 18–19.
  • Colorado issued a statewide standing order allowing COVID vaccinations without individual prescriptions starting Friday, and Pennsylvania’s pharmacy board voted to let pharmacists follow major medical groups’ guidance to preserve access.
  • Independent pharmacies report doses on hand but limited ability to vaccinate without prescriptions or standing orders, and insurers have not uniformly confirmed coverage for people outside the FDA’s narrowed categories.