New Jersey is the latest state to rebuff efforts from the federal government to limit access to updated COVID-19 vaccines.
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) issued an executive order Thursday allowing anyone six months old and older to receive a COVID-19 vaccine for the upcoming respiratory illness season.
The department is also allowing pharmacists in the state to administer COVID-19 immunizations without a prescription to anyone in the state who is at least three years old, according to a standing order.
Children under three years old can still get the shot in a health care provider’s office.
“At a time when COVID-19 cases are increasing across the country and as part of my Administration’s dedication to evidence-based public health action, I am committed to ensuring everyone in New Jersey who wants to receive a COVID-19 vaccination can receive a dose this fall from trusted health professionals,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said in a statement.
Murphy added that health insurance companies are “strongly encouraged” to continue to cover the cost of the shots for everyone six months and older.
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved updated COVID-19 vaccines but only for adults 65 years and over or those with certain underlying medical conditions that put them at greater risk for developing severe illness from the disease.
But the agency did not specify what conditions place a person at greater risk, sparking widespread confusion over who is eligible to get the shot, how to get them and in some cases, how to pay for them.
The FDA’s narrowed COVID-19 approval is another change in the country’s federal vaccine policy enacted by the Trump administration.
Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine-skeptic, canceled $500 million worth of mRNA vaccine development contracts and $600 million contract with Moderna to develop a vaccine for bird flu.
He also abruptly removed 17 members the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and replaced them with eight new members, including some fellow vaccine skeptics.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) recently issued a similar executive order last week and at least four other states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware and Pennsylvania — have taken steps to try and ensure that people who want a COVID-19 vaccine can get the shot.
“While COVID-19 has become part of our lives, we still have effective tools to minimize outbreaks and reduce the risk of serious complications,” N.J. Department of Health Deputy Commissioner Novneet Sahu said.
“Vaccines remain our strongest defense, helping to limit the spread of the virus, protecting individuals and communities, and reducing broader social impacts such as missed school and work, and reducing pressure on our health care systems,” Sahu added.
