Pa. pharmacies require prescriptions for COVID shots
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Pennsylvanians may have to jump through extra hoops to get the latest COVID-19 shots this fall, as pharmacies restrict access until they receive new guidance from federal or state health officials.
Catch up quick: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last month announced new limits on COVID vaccine eligibility as the FDA cleared updated shots for fall and winter, limiting them to adults 65 and older or younger people with health risks such as asthma or obesity.
- CVS and Walgreens, the nation's largest pharmacy chains, are requiring a doctor's prescription for COVID shots in Pennsylvania and several other states, the New York Times reports.
Between the lines: Most Pennsylvania pharmacists can't administer the new COVID vaccines until further CDC guidance arrives sometime this month, but with internal turmoil at the agency and fears that vaccines will be politicized, Gov. Josh Shapiro and some state lawmakers are exploring ways to keep shots widely available, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports.
What's next: A group of Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced a bill that would require insurers to cover vaccines recommended not just by federal officials, but also by the state Department of Health.