Az COVID vaccine rollout hits snags despite state’s standing order workaround

Despite the Arizona Department of
Health Services issuing a standing order last week allowing virtually
every Arizona resident to get a COVID-19 vaccine without a prescription,
vaccine access has remained tricky and confusion has remained as the
federal government continues to make moves to restrict it.  

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs issued an executive order
earlier this month that gave the state health department the ability to
issue the standing order, which acts as a prescription and allows
pharmacists to administer the vaccine. The move came after the Trump
administration, led by prominent anti-vaxxer
and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., moved to
make it only available without a prescription to those 65 and older.  

Last week, ADHS issued a standing order
allowing anyone at least 6 months old to get the vaccine without a
prescription, following the lead of other states who have made similar
decisions.  

Despite all this, the Arizona Mirror began receiving reports that those who wanted to get the vaccine were having difficulty making appointments with two of the largest pharmacy chains in the state and the nation, CVS and Walgreens. 

Multiple readers reached out with
stories of both pharmacies rejecting appointments or having pharmacists
deny them appointments citing the federal government’s stance on the
vaccine. 

Additionally, last week the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, that includes people handpicked by RFK Jr., created new recommendations on childhood vaccinations. 

The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention acting director, Jim O’Neill, would still need to sign off on
the new recommendations. The panel essentially recommended that
everyone consult with a health care provider prior to receiving a shot,
but no prescription is required. 

“We’re aware of the recommendations
issued by ACIP on Friday and are awaiting final approval from the CDC,”
CVS said in a statement to the Mirror. “As soon as approval is received,
we will be prepared to implement nationwide. Appointments can be
scheduled online via CVS.com, through the CVS Health app, or patients can walk into our pharmacies and clinics.”

CVS emphasized that Arizonans do not currently need a prescription to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

A Walgreens spokesperson made a
similar confirmation to the Mirror and said that the updated COVID-19
vaccine is available at Walgreens locations without a prescription. 

ADHS did not respond to a request for
comment on how state health officials intend to ensure that the
standing order is adhered to or how it plans to keep the public informed
on where and how to get vaccinated, given the rapidly changing
environment around vaccines. 

Websites such as vaccine.gov,
which used to be utilized to find pharmacies or other locations to get
the COVID-19 vaccination and other vaccines, has been non-functional for at least a month.

Those looking to find vaccines through CVS or Walgreens can do so here and here.