CVS Health does not have immediate plans to provide the newly updated annual COVID-19 vaccine in more than a dozen states due to the “regulatory environment” following the approval for high-risk groups this week.
A CVS spokesperson stated that, considering the “current regulatory environment,” the pharmacy chain will not routinely offer COVID-19 vaccinations in the following states and territories: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Despite this, customers in most of these areas can still obtain the updated COVID-19 vaccines if they have a prescription from an “authorized prescriber.” However, CVS locations in Massachusetts, Nevada, and New Mexico will not be providing the COVID-19 vaccines at all.
Seasonal vaccines typically don’t require prescriptions, being available to the demographics who are eligible for the shots.
This week, the FDA approved the new COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer for older adults and individuals with at least one health condition increasing their risk of severe COVID-19. Moderna’s vaccine is approved for individuals aged six months to 64 years, while Pfizer’s is approved for individuals aged 5 to 64 years within this group.
Previously, vaccinated individuals aged 6 months and older were eligible to receive at least one dose of either Moderna or Pfizer’s updated COVID-19 vaccines. Despite the limited eligibility, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned on social media that these vaccines would be available for “all patients who opt for them after consulting with their doctors.”
