Unlike past years, access to COVID-19 vaccines has become complicated in 2025, largely because federal guidance does not recommend them for nearly everyone this year as it had in the past.
But the remaining states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia — require individual prescriptions under the company’s interpretation of state policies.
Of those, only Oregon doesn’t currently allow the shots in pharmacies without individual prescriptions.
Vaccines have become politically contentious In past years, the federal government has recommended the vaccines to all Americans above the age of 6 months.
Since then, though, the state health department said that the change likely wouldn’t take effect until December and that without legislative action, only some vaccines — including for chickenpox — would become optional.
On Friday, the governors of Arizona, Illinois, Maine, and North Carolina became the latest Democratic leaders to sign directives aimed at guaranteeing that the majority of citizens can obtain COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies without requiring individual prescriptions.
Because federal guidance does not recommend COVID-19 vaccines for almost everyone this year as it did in the past, access to the vaccine has become more complicated in 2025 compared to previous years.
Here is a look at the current situation.
According to a pharmacy chain, the shots are accessible without a prescription in the majority of states.
In the United States, CVS Health is the largest pharmacy chain. A. claims that as of midday Friday, its stores in 41 states are providing the shots without a specific prescription.
As per the company’s interpretation of state policies, however, the remaining states—Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and West Virginia, in addition to the District of Columbia—need individual prescriptions.
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As the new orders go into effect, Arizona, Maine, and North Carolina are probably going to be removed from that list.
“I will not watch helplessly as the Trump Administration makes it more difficult for people in Maine to receive a vaccine that could potentially save their lives and protect their health,” said Maine Gov. Janet Mills stated in the declaration. We’re taking action to remove the obstacles the Trump Administration is erecting to the health and well-being of Maine residents with this standing order. “.”.
Democratic governors have been acting.
At least fourteen states have announced plans to facilitate access this month, including Virginia, which is led by Republican Glenn Youngkin, and twelve states with Democratic governors.
At least a few pharmacies were already widely offering the vaccinations in some of the states that have extended access, such as Delaware and New Jersey earlier this week and Illinois on Friday.
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The orders issued on Friday are anticipated to alter the policy in each of the three states where they were implemented.
North Carolina’s directives were more specific than most. Everyone 65 years of age and older, as well as those who are at least 18 and have a risk factor, are covered by them. Prescription drugs would still be required for other adults. The order goes into effect immediately, according to officials, but not all pharmacies may have supplies on hand at first.
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Even though the majority of states with Republican control have not altered their vaccination laws this month, the vaccines are still accessible there in accordance with current regulations.
Four states—California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington—have announced an alliance to make their own vaccine recommendations in addition to the wave of directives from governors, boards of pharmacy, and other officials. The only state that currently prohibits the shots in pharmacies without individual prescriptions is Oregon.
Vaccines are now a controversial topic in politics.
In the past, the federal government has advised all Americans older than six months to get the vaccines.
This year, the U.S. A. Their use should be limited to children and young adults with risk factors like obesity or asthma, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which approved them for use by those 65 and older.
As U, that changed. S. . Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy dismissed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices as a whole in June, claiming that they were too closely associated with the vaccine manufacturers. Among the substitutes are those who doubt vaccines.
Governor of Arizona. Democratic lawmaker Katie Hobbs presented her order on Friday as “protecting the health care freedom” of the state’s residents.
On vaccinations, one state has adopted a different position.
Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the surgeon general of Florida, declared this month that the state may be the first to do away with the requirement that children have a list of their immunizations.
However, since then, the state health department has stated that only certain vaccines, including the chickenpox vaccine, would become optional in the absence of legislative action, and that the change is probably not going to happen until December. The polio and measles vaccinations would still be required.
The report was written by Patrick Whittle of the Associated Press in Maine.
