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In Port Washington on Friday, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order to allow people to get the COVID-19 vaccine at pharmacies without a prescription across the state.
New Yorkers can “go into a pharmacy, as they’re accustomed to doing, and the pharmacist will now, as a result of this signing, be authorized to administer COVID shots to those who choose to have them,” Hochul told reporters during a visit to Manorhaven Elementary School in Port Washington.
The executive order was developed to get around newly imposed federal restrictions on vaccine access introduced last week that limited eligibility to those 65 and older, or younger with underlying health conditions.
On Friday, Hochul said that “we’re going to make sure that everyone who has health insurance has coverage” to get the COVID vaccine, and added that Medicaid covers it.
“Many of the large insurers have said they’ll cover it anyhow, because if you can prevent an illness, isn’t that a lot less expensive to treat in the long run?” Hochul said. “The insurance companies understand how important these are, but we’re going to work through some of the details.”
Many of those details “can be settled when we come back with more comprehensive legislation in January,” Hochul said. But, she added, “I can’t wait that long. We are in peak COVID season. It’s starting up now. The cases are going up. People need to be aware of this, and this is the time when people should be thinking about getting their shots for themselves and their families if they choose.”
She said that people have been “conditioned to be able to walk into a pharmacy, and I want to keep the status quo,” and added that she did not think people would take the time to get to a doctor’s office to get a prescription. “I don’t want there to be barriers to their or their family’s health because of an artificial roadblock.”
Hochul said she and her team are “working around the clock to ensure that whatever Washington does, that we’re prepared to respond, so there’s no gap in coverage for New Yorkers.”
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Adina Genn
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