Massachusetts — The Department of Public Health has issued a standing order that will allow pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to Bay Staters over age 5, as Massachusetts carves out its own immunization policies with the federal landscape drastically shifting under the Trump administration.
The Board of Registration in Pharmacy posted the standing order on Wednesday, outlining the various types of COVID shots that can be administered to individuals ages 12 and older, as well as to children ages 5 to 11.
“No matter what happens with Robert Kennedy and the federal government, we are going to make sure vaccines remain available in Massachusetts,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “At my direction, our Commissioner of Public Health issued an order on Friday to allow pharmacies to continue to provide COVID vaccines to Massachusetts residents. We are working to ensure that all pharmacies make the vaccine available as soon as possible.”
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. in May announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would no longer recommend COVID shots for healthy pregnant women and children. Kennedy, who’s long voiced skepticism about vaccines, this summer also fired all members of a federal COVID vaccine advisory panel and installed new appointees.
Healey in August filed legislation that would disentangle the state’s vaccine policies from that panel, enabling DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein to establish “routine childhood immunizations” for all residents younger than 19 years old.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week approved COVID shots but restricted their availability among healthy children and young adults, the AP reported. The FDA also revoked the emergency authorization for Pfizer’s shot to children under 5 years old.
CVS last week said the pharmacy chain could not administer COVID vaccine shots in Massachusetts, Nevada and Mexico, even to individuals with prescriptions, “due to the current regulatory environment,” according to CBS News.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson launched the West Coast Alliance on Wednesday, aimed at coordinating regional public health guidance. The group, citing “recent federal actions that have undermined the independence of the CDC and raised concerns about the politicization of science,” will start off by focusing on immunization policy.
“The CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science. California, Oregon and Washington will not allow the people of our states to be put at risk,” the governors said in a joint statement.
Healey is slated to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Thursday to announce “immediate measures to ensure availability of vaccines in Massachusetts,” the governor’s office said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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