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Minnesota is the latest state where a Democratic administration is promising to maintain access and availability of vaccines amid a federal shift in policy that has brought the immunizations under question.
Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order Monday aiming to retain broad access to vaccines for all Minnesotans. The order directs the Minnesota Department of Health to work with other state agencies to identify, review and remove barriers to vaccine access to the “fullest extent permitted by law.”
The order also calls on the health regulatory agency’s medical director to issue a standing order or protocol by Sept. 24 that gives guidance on the COVID-19 vaccine to pharmacists and other health care providers on administering the vaccine.
“Vaccination is one of the greatest public health inventions of all time. Routine vaccination prevents hospital visits, disabilities and death. Vaccines allow us to live better and longer than ever before,” the executive order from Walz says. “But the federal government is seeking to inject politics into what should be a decision between a person and their healthcare provider.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidance on the COVID-19 booster shot, restricting access to the shot for people 65 and older, or people 6 months and older with one or more underlying health issues that puts them at risk for a severe COVID infection.
It’s not clear yet how the guidance will spill down to health providers. Minnesota pharmacists already have authority to offer COVID-19 vaccines without prescriptions. But there are also questions about whether those vaccines will be covered by insurers.
Some health insurance providers that serve Minnesota have said they will continue their coverage.
In a news release, Health Commissioner Brooke Cunningham said her agency will build off of years of work with partners in promoting vaccines and making sure they’re available. She said she worries the federal action could reduce support for vaccines or impair access, however.
“The scale of these cuts will likely lead to changes that affect Minnesotans,” she said. “We don’t yet know what those changes will be, but MDH will keep a close eye on the situation, work to protect vaccine access and stay closely connected with our public health partners.”
Walz’s order follows several other states that are also finding ways to protect broad access to vaccines. New York declared a statewide disaster emergency to protect access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Several states, including California and Washington, are banding together to make regional health coalitions to give vaccine guidance. Massachusetts is forcing insurers to pay for vaccines the state recommends, not solely those recommended by the federal government.
According to data from the Minnesota Department of Health, hospitalizations of COVID cases have been increasing since late June, but are at about a fifth of what they were in January.
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