In previous years, annual COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for everyone 6 months and older. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this year approved the shots only for people 65 and older or people with certain underlying health conditions.
The narrowed guidelines mean otherwise healthy people who may want to get vaccinated to protect a vulnerable family member, or who just don’t want to get sick, are having difficulty getting the vaccines.
This week, Gov. Katie Hobbs issued an executive order to try to broaden access to COVID-19 vaccines in Arizona, as governors in several other states have done. But some questions remain about who will be able to get the shots this fall in Arizona.
Under this year’s FDA guidelines, most Arizonans can currently only get the updated COVID-19 vaccines if they have a prescription. Hobbs’s order directs the Arizona Department of Health Services to issue a standing order that would serve as a prescription for all Arizonans. That way, pharmacists in the state could administer the vaccines to Arizonans without a prescription from their doctor, based on guidance from health organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Academy of Family Physicians.
The Arizona Department of Health Services has not yet issued the standing order. But Arizona Public Health Association executive director Will Humble said more Arizonans would likely get the vaccines if the department follows Hobbs’s direction.
“To get an individual prescription is a huge barrier for a lot of people, you either have to call your doctor, or go in and do an individual visit, or take more time out of your day to get that vaccine, so eliminating the prescription part is huge,” Humble said.
Hobbs’s order also directs the state Board of Pharmacy to provide clarity to pharmacists on following health department-issued standing orders. And it directs the state Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions to urge health insurers to pay for the vaccines.
“[The executive order] is a workaround to try to preserve as much access to this vaccine as possible,” Humble said.
Hobbs’s order comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is preparing to meet next week to consider its recommendations for the updated COVID-19 vaccines. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, in June removed all members of that committee and hand-picked their replacements.
Humble said the outcome of next week’s ACIP meeting could further impact whether Arizona pharmacies can provide the vaccines and whether insurers will cover the costs of the shots. So he recommends Arizonans wait a few weeks before trying to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Starting in October I think we’ll have a much better picture of who can get vaccinated and where, and who’s going to pay for it and who’s not,” Humble said.
-
The FDA plans to add a “black-box warning” to COVID-19 vaccines — that’s the strongest warning the agency can issue. But Will Humble, the Arizona Public Health Association president, says the move isn’t as alarming as it sounds. -
City officials said that they will need to make up $22 million after the American Rescue Plan funds for homeless services expire. Since they are temporary, the city needs to replace the gap to maintain current service levels. -
The University of Arizona and pharmaceutical company Sunshine Biopharma are developing medical technology to minimize the severity of coronavirus infections. -
A new report from the Helios Education Foundation shows Arizona's chronic absence rates still haven't bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. -
Arizonans had been facing hurdles to getting COVID-19 shots amid regulatory confusion caused by shakeups at the CDC. But a state health department order has now cleared the way for broader access.
