Colorado counters Trump admin's COVID vaccine limits
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks to press in 2023. Photo: Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said Wednesday the state will sidestep "ridiculous" new Trump administration restrictions on COVID vaccines by issuing its own order.
Why it matters: The move keeps vaccines widely available in Colorado, even as federal rules narrow access for millions of Americans.
The latest: Starting Friday, a statewide standing order — in effect for at least one year — will allow pharmacists to provide COVID vaccines without a prescription.
- State officials say that order effectively serves as a blanket prescription, covering all Coloradans 6 months and older.
Zoom in: Insurance plans regulated by the state will fully cover COVID vaccines, per the order. Broad U.S. health insurance coverage of the shots is unlikely to change this year despite the new federal rules, industry groups say.
What's next: The State Board of Pharmacy will hold an emergency hearing Friday to ensure pharmacists, interns and techs can continue prescribing and administering shots.
Context: The move comes after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last week restricted COVID-19 vaccines to those ages 65 and older and high-risk groups, limiting access for healthy children and healthy pregnant women.
- The country's two largest pharmacies — CVS and Walgreens — responded by curbing shots in Colorado and other states to those with prescriptions.
What they're saying: "I will not allow ridiculous and costly red tape or decisions made far away in Washington to keep Coloradans from accessing vaccines," Polis said in a statement Wednesday.
The other side: In a statement, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon blamed Democrat-run states for destroying public trust in health agencies. He said HHS will ensure vaccine policy is based on "rigorous evidence ... not the failed politics of the pandemic."
The big picture: Colorado's actions come the same day that California, Oregon and Washington announced they'll develop their own vaccine guidelines amid what they called the politicization of the CDC.
- Florida, meanwhile, declared it will end all state vaccine mandates.