Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order to allow residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The order allows pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines. Hochul said the Executive Order will be in place for at least 30 days while a long-term legislative solution is developed to address access to all vaccines in order to combat the Trump Administration’s misguided attack on immunization and healthcare.
Most pharmacies in New York rely on “standing orders” — non-patient-specific prescriptions that give them authority to administer vaccines to broad groups of people. These standing orders are typically based on recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This summer, the federal government pulled more than $500 million in mRNA vaccine funding which Hochul says has created further uncertainty around access.
In June, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced a majority of ACIP members with individuals known to oppose vaccination. Since then, ACIP has not issued updated guidance for the 2025-26 COVID vaccine and is not scheduled to meet until September 18.
Without that federal guidance, many pharmacies in New York began restricting access to the COVID vaccine, particularly for:
- Children ages 3–17
- Pregnant people
- Adults under age 65 without underlying conditions
Hochul’s executive order allows physicians and nurse practitioners to issue patient-specific or non-patient-specific orders to pharmacists for patients as young as age three, expands pharmacists’ authority to administer vaccines to children under 18, and, for the first time, permits pharmacists to prescribe COVID vaccines themselves.
To support this expansion, State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald will also be issuing a standing order for the COVID vaccine, ensuring that pharmacists statewide can continue to provide timely and convenient access. In the coming days, Commissioner McDonald and the Department of Health will issue detailed guidance to support pharmacies, clinicians and other vaccine administrators.
New York is also working in coordination with a regional multi-state public health collaboration among Northeast states, which brings together public health leaders across the region to develop evidence-based recommendations and approaches on vaccination, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness. The collaborative also supports state public health laboratories in sharing resources and expertise to strengthen regional readiness.
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