Gov. Matt Meyer and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) issue a standing order to protect COVID-19 vaccine eligibility.
Gov. Meyer is calling on the Board of Pharmacy to convene an emergency meeting to affirm the standing order, which would ensure pharmacists can administer COVID-19 vaccinations to those who want them, as long as the individual meets recommendations from other relevant professional organizations.
Those organizations include the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG).
“Vaccines save lives. Science, not politics, will guide how we keep our communities safe,” Gov. Meyer said in a statement. “With this standing order and our partnership with neighboring states, we are taking control of our future, ensuring that every Delawarean has access to the protection they need.”
Gov. Meyer is referring to his announcement that Delaware will be joining a Northeast public health coalition to collaboratively develop regional vaccine guidelines amid the federal uncertainty.
Weeks ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed new limitations on who is eligible for the fall COVID-19 vaccine shot, restricting approval to people who are 65 or older or have other health problems that put them at risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is slated to meet on Sept. 18 to potentially revise federal recommendations for multiple vaccines, but the CDC already dropped guidelines that call for all healthy children and healthy pregnant women to routinely get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The new federal guidelines also come as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has implied he intends to make changes to the longstanding national vaccine schedule for children, recently ousted the director of CDC and replaced all members on the CDC vaccine advisory panel.
“Our goal at DPH is to support patients and their health care teams in making informed decisions, while protecting public health and making preventive care easier to access in our communities," said Delaware DPH Medical Director Dr. Awele Maduka-Ezeh in a statement.
The order also aligns with the Delaware Department of Insurance’s recent confirmation that most health insurance carriers will maintain their existing vaccine coverage levels.
The standing order and the AAP, AAFP and ACOG recommendations can be found here.
