New Jersey took steps to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine, going against recently changed federal guidelines that limit who's eligible for the shot.
The state's Department of Health issued an order this week to allow anyone 6 months or older to receive immunizations and to authorize pharmacists to vaccinate patients 3 and older without a prescription. The announcement comes weeks after the Food and Drug Administration said vaccines will be approved only for people who are 65 and older or who have underlying medical conditions that put them at increased risk of developing a serious case of the illness. The federal agency didn't explicitly define what conditions were considered high risk.
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The state executive directive, which passed Monday, recommends children 6 months old and older receive a COVID-19 vaccine, which mirrors previous recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2024.
The standing order essentially serves as a prescription to allow pharmacists to administer the shot to patients over the age of 3. Children between 3 months old and 3 years old can receive vaccines from their health care providers.
"This is about empowering residents to make decisions about their own health," Jeff Brown, acting health commissioner for New Jersey, said in a statement. "... This is about equitable access to the COVID vaccine, which has been proven to prevent serious illness and hospitalization. Especially as we enter cold and flu season and as students head back to school, New Jerseyans are reminded to stay up to date on all recommended vaccinations."
State health officials said that the new shots are expected to be available in the coming weeks.
In its directive, the New Jersey Health Department called the updated federal policies — announced on social media by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Aug. 27 — "unfounded and unsupported barriers" that has created "fear, uncertainty and confusion" in the state.
"While COVID-19 has become part of our lives, we still have effective tools to minimize outbreaks and reduce the risk of serious complications," said Novneet Sahu, deputy commissioner for public health services in New Jersey. "Vaccines remain our strongest defense, helping to limit the spread of the virus, protecting individuals and communities, reducing broader social impacts such as missed school and work and reducing pressure on our health care systems."
Last week, Pennsylvania took similar steps in eliminate barriers for access to its COVID vaccines.
"Health care decisions should be up to individuals — not the federal government and certainly not RFK Jr." Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement last week.