Pharmacists Nationwide Can Vaccinate Kids Under Latest Guidance

More pharmacists will be able to vaccinate children with a Covid-19 vaccine under an expanded HHS inoculation policy that preempts local laws.

Pharmacists that meet certain licensing and training criteria will be able to vaccinate kids three years old or older, the Health and Human Services Department said Wednesday. The updated policy “preempts any state and local laws that prohibit or effectively prohibits those who satisfy these requirements from ordering or administering COVID-19 vaccines,” the agency said in a statement.

States differ in the type of vaccines pharmacists can administer and the age range of people they can give a shot. Connecticut, Florida, and Vermont didn’t allow pharmacists to administer any vaccines to a patient under the age of 18, according to a 2019 Pharmacy Practice paper about barriers to vaccinating children.

“This action builds upon our Administration’s progress toward delivering a safe, effective, and widely available vaccine by 2021,” Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir said in a statement. “Allowing pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 vaccines will greatly expand convenient access for the American people.”