Health Care

Blue states take action to preserve vaccine access at pharmacies

Several states are forming regional alliances to coordinate public health guidelines.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears before the Senate Finance Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

At least half a dozen states have moved to preserve COVID-19 vaccine access at pharmacies, pushing back against new federal restrictions that have created confusion and backlogs at major chains.

Officials in Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington authorized pharmacists to follow recommendations from their own state health departments and national medical organizations when determining who is eligible for a COVID vaccination, disregarding conflicting federal guidelines. 

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