Healey expands COVID vaccine access, mandates coverage
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Pharmacists in Massachusetts can administer COVID-19 booster shots to residents aged 5 and older, while insurers will be required to cover any shots recommended by the state.
Why it matters: The moves by Gov. Maura Healey directly counter federal restrictions implemented by the Trump administration this week.
- Massachusetts is the first state to mandate insurance coverage of vaccines, even if the federal government stops requiring it.
State of play: Healey's actions, along with similar orders by other Democratic governors, mark a significant departure from the unified vaccine policy states have shared with the federal government.
- Some states are increasingly charting independent public health courses while federal policy shifts under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Driving the news: Healey directed the state Department of Public Health to authorize vaccine distribution well beyond federal guidelines.
- Pharmacists can provide various COVID-19 vaccines that haven't received approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory panel.
- CVS previously announced it would not offer vaccines in Massachusetts because of uncertainty around regulations.
What they're saying: "People have been calling pharmacies and not able to get appointments because of changes made by the Trump administration. That changes today, at least in Massachusetts," Healey said at a State House press conference Thursday, flanked by lawmakers and her health care aides.
The other side: In a statement to Axios, a HHS spokesperson blamed pandemic-era polices in states run by Democrats for eroding trust in public health agencies.
- "[Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices] remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country, and HHS will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic," HHS spokesman William C. Maloney said.
Zoom in: The directive mandating insurance coverage is supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, the state said in a news release.
- The national health insurance trade group AHIP in June said its members will continue to cover vaccines for this year's respiratory season.
Catch up quick: Kennedy has restricted COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women.
- Under Kennedy, the FDA currently limits booster shot access to those 65 and older or with underlying health conditions.
The bigger picture: California, Oregon and Washington launched a regional health coalition to set their own standards.
- Massachusetts leads a Northeast coalition that includes most New England states plus Pennsylvania and New Jersey.