New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Friday allowing pharmacies to administer COVID-19 shots after several pharmacy chains said boosters would only be available by prescription within the state.
The announcement comes a week after the Food and Drug Administration approved updated boosters for the 2025-26 season but limited their approval to adults over age 65. Adults under age 65 would need to be considered "high risk" to get a shot.
However, the shots have not yet been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. That committee has faced recent turmoil after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the entire panel earlier this year.
Absent the ACIP's recommendations, vaccine access varies by state. In some states, Americans age 65 and older, and those with high-risk medical conditions, can get a COVID-19 shot at most pharmacies. Other states, including New York, require a prescription. In three states, CVS has opted not to offer COVID-19 shots entirely in order to comply with state laws.
“I promised New Yorkers that their family would be my fight. In the absence of federal leadership, we must do everything we can to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the vaccines and preventative healthcare they have come to rely on,” Hochul said. “By signing this executive order, we are sending a clear message that when Washington Republicans play politics with public health, New Yorkers can still get the care they need, close to home, from trusted providers in their own communities.”
Hochul's order allows pharmacists to administer COVID-19 shots to those age three or older without a doctor's prescription.
In previous years, updated COVID-19 vaccines were widely accessible through pharmacies and clinics without prescriptions. The shots were available for essentially everyone ages 6 months and older.
Federal health officials have issued mixed signals about the future of the vaccine. Some appointees under Kennedy argue it is unnecessary for most people because of widespread immunity, while also questioning its safety and effectiveness.
Most medical experts say the vaccine is both safe and highly effective at preventing severe illness.
Kennedy has said in the past that those who want a COVID-19 vaccine would be able to get one. He continued to suggest that in a contentious Senate hearing on Thursday.
"Most Americans are going to be able to get it from their pharmacy for free," he said, as Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee disagreed. They said that pharmacies not offering COVID-19 vaccines is a sign they are not available for all Americans.
