By New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed an executive order Friday authorizing pharmacists to prescribe and administer COVID-19 vaccines.
The order will be in place for the next 30 days while the governor comes up with a “long-term legislative solution” on vaccine access, according to a statement from Hochul’s office.
“I promised New Yorkers that their family would be my fight,” Hochul said in a statement. “In the absence of federal leadership, we must do everything we can to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the vaccines and preventative healthcare they have come to rely on.”
Hochul said Thursday she would issue an executive order allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer COVID-19 shots in response to the Trump administration’s “misguided attack” on immunization and health care.
Her announcement comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense questions from both Democratic and Republican senators about recent changes to the nation’s vaccine policy and turmoil at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In June, Kennedy abruptly removed all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, accusing them of having conflicts of interest.
He then replaced them with a smaller panel, including some people who have expressed vaccine skepticism. The New York Times reported earlier this week that Kennedy plans to appoint an additional seven members to the committee.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services canceled roughly $500 million worth of federal contracts on mRNA vaccine development. The Food and Drug Administration changed who can access COVID-19 vaccines, narrowing its recommendation to Americans over 65 or those 6 months and older with a health condition that increases their chances of developing severe COVID.
Under current guidance, Americans younger than 65 who do not have an underlying health condition might need a prescription to get the shot and, potentially, pay out of pocket for it.