Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order Monday to “safeguard” vaccine access in Minnesota, joining other Democratic-led states in breaking with restrictive eligibility policies unveiled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the newly approved COVID-19 vaccines for the fall season.
The order also pushes back against what Walz said was a “misinformation campaign” led by U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “questioning the effectiveness and utility of vaccines.”
Such doubts recently led Republicans in Florida to take steps to be the first state to eliminate school vaccine mandates.
Walz’s executive order directed Minnesota’s Department of Health “to continue to identify, review, and remove barriers to vaccine access to the fullest extent permitted by law” and to issue a standing order to health care providers for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements in modern medicine,” Walz said in the order. “While the Trump Administration attempts to limit Americans’ access to preventative care, Minnesota will be guided by science and medical expertise, prioritizing the health and safety of our people.”
Previous FDA policy recommended that COVID-19 vaccine booster shots be made available to anyone 6 months or older regardless of their health status. But in August, the federal agency announced restrictions for the new shot.
The FDA limited access to the vaccines to people who are 65 and older and to younger people with at least one underlying health condition, such as asthma or obesity, that would put them at risk of developing a severe illness without a booster shot. Children are eligible only if a medical provider is consulted. Additionally, the Pfizer vaccine, one of the three that were approved, will no longer be available for any child under 5.
Walz’s order also instructed the Minnesota Department of Commerce to work with the Health Department to ensure that insurance companies operating in the state continue to provide affordable vaccines in various health care settings, including pharmacies.
Unlike many other states, pharmacists in Minnesota can administer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines without a prescription regardless of federal guidance. But insurance coverage in such cases remains uncertain.
Updated COVID-19 vaccines are becoming available at Minnesota clinics and pharmacies, and there should be increasing availability over the next several weeks, Walz’s office said in a statement accompanying the executive order.
The debut of the updated COVID-19 vaccines has gotten off to a clunky start in many states. Limits on who can get the shots and prescription requirements are confusing customers and leaving some people worried about whether they will get protection from the virus this fall.
Kennedy has insisted that everyone who wants a shot still can get one after consulting with a doctor, but he also told a Senate committee hearing Thursday that this access “depends on the states.”
Florida’s announcement rolling back school vaccination requirements along with Kennedy’s attempts to advance anti-vaccine policies have widened the debate over vaccine mandates — long a centerpiece of fighting infectious diseases.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said roughly 4 million deaths are prevented annually worldwide by childhood vaccinations.
While most Americans say kids should be vaccinated to attend school, adults nationwide are now less likely to think those immunizations are important. At the same time, routine childhood vaccine rates are falling.
Other Democratic-led states are also taking measures to ensure more people can get access to vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey last week ordered health insurers in the state to continue covering the COVID-19 vaccine. The state also issued an order to allow pharmacies to continue providing shots.
Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington took similar steps.
The Democratic governors in Washington, Oregon and California also announced that they have created an alliance to establish their own recommendations for who should receive vaccines. They plan to coordinate their vaccine recommendations and immunization plans based on science-based evidence from respected national medical organizations, according to a joint statement.
This report includes information from the Associated Press.
