Washington restores access to COVID vaccines while brushing aside federal rules

Sidestepping federal restrictions, Washington’s new standing order allows COVID vaccine access without prescription regardless of age or health status.

In May, the Food and Drug Administration banned healthy adults younger than 65 from getting the COVID vaccine. Washington’s standing order restores that access to state residents.

“COVID-19 vaccines are well-researched, well-tested, and have saved millions of lives around the world,” state health officer Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett said in a statement. “The barriers to COVID-19 vaccination are complex, and the Standing Order is just one part of the solution. We want to ensure all Washington residents have access to the protection these vaccines provide based on the best available science.”

The order allows everyone 6 months and older, including pregnant people, to go directly to a Washington pharmacy or clinic and receive the COVID-19 vaccine without a prescription. The order is based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

“Washington will step up to protect our residents and ensure our policies are still based in rigorous science. We need the best science and knowledge available to protect public health,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement.

While the standing order gives access to the vaccine, the patient is still responsible for its cost. The COVID-19 vaccine remains covered by most major insurance companies. If insurance stops coverage of the vaccine because of the federal restriction, the state may need to pass a new law in the next legislative session to ensure coverage, according to Washington Health Secretary Dennis Worsham.

“We’re going to make sure that’s tightened up,” Worsham said. “Right now, we’re good, but we’re going to make sure going forward insurance coverage is based on science that would be coming out of the Department of Health.”

The move comes as Washington has joined California and Oregon to form the West Coast Health Alliance, which will provide rival vaccine guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After the partnership was announced Wednesday, Hawaii also joined the alliance.

“Hawaii is proud to stand with our West Coast partners to ensure public health decisions are grounded in science, not politics,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a statement.

While some health care providers have already received the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine, other providers are still waiting to receive supplies of the updated vaccine, which may limit appointments.