The Vermont Department of Health issued its vaccine recommendations on respiratory viruses Thursday and authorized Vermont pharmacies to give anyone age five and over access to a Covid-19 booster shot through a standing order.
“The recommendations are the most important thing so that it is clear for Vermonters and for providers what the health department position is on the COVID-19 vaccine,” interim Health Commissioner Julie Arel said in an interview with VTDigger. “The standing order is a tool to try to help support pharmacists to be able to administer the vaccine.”
Both the recommendations and the standing order follow the guidance of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, according to the department guidance.
The Vermont Health Department recommends that anyone 6 months old and above get the Covid-19 vaccine.
“We think anybody who wants a vaccine should be able to get one, but there are certain populations that we think it’s even more important to have them get the vaccine,” Arel said.
Babies between 6 to 24 months see higher rates of hospitalization from Covid-19 and should get vaccinated to prevent the risk of severe illness, Arel added. Vaccination is also particularly important for pregnant people, who can confer immunity in utero; it serves as critical protection for babies before they are old enough to receive a vaccine. The department’s recommendations also underscore the importance for people 65 years old or older and individuals with existing health conditions to get the shots.
The Health Department releases vaccine recommendations every year — which includes guidance on RSV and flu vaccination as well. This year, however, the recommendations served to provide added clarity against a backdrop of confusion surrounding the federal guidelines and approvals on vaccinations.
The state’s recommendations come on the same day that a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel began to discuss and vote on Covid-19 vaccine recommendations. Many state public health officials have watched closely to see what the panel may suggest, after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stacked the panel with vaccine skeptics.
In August, the Food and Drug Administration authorized updated Covid-19 vaccines for this upcoming cold and flu season with the guidance that they should be administered to those 65 and above or with existing health risks. That does not prevent doctors from offering an “off-label” prescription, which a health care provider can give outside the scope of FDA approval.
Vermont’s standing order gives pharmacies room to administer the updated Covid-19 vaccines without having the patient attest to a prior health risk.
The order strives to make it as easy as possible for pharmacies to issue the vaccines this way, Arel said. “[Off-lable use] is a pretty accepted practice, but it’s a little bit different for pharmacists, and so this is just a way to try to help smooth the path for them to be able to get those vaccines out to more people.”
Right now, pharmacies are the only sites in the state that have this season’s Covid-19 vaccines. Doctors’ offices and other clinics, which often get vaccines from the CDC via the state, have not been able to order the vaccines from the federal government. Pharmacies, on the other hand, order vaccines directly from the manufacturer, and thus they have been able to move forward with administering the vaccine.
However, Vermont state law prevents pharmacies from administering vaccines to children under five years old, meaning that this population will have to wait until the vaccines land in their pediatricians’ offices.
“I know it’s frustrating for parents to not be able to get the vaccine yet for their children,” said Arel. “We have to wait for the CDC to make it available for us to order through the usual pathways.”
She anticipates that the vaccines will arrive in Vermont by early to mid- October.
On Thursday, a group of Northeastern states also formalized its coalition to collaborate on public health guidance, as the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. Vermont state health officials attended preliminary meetings of the collaborative but issued its recommendations on respiratory illness independently from the coalition today — despite publicizing the recommendations on the same day as the block of Northeastern states.
Both of the state’s private insurers — Blue Cross Blue Shield of VT and MVP — confirmed to VTDigger earlier in September that they intend to continue covering COVID-19 vaccines at no cost and with no prior approval. The health department’s recommendations confirm that Medicaid will continue to cover the cost of the shots, and since the FDA has already approved the vaccine for those over 65 or with existing health risks, Medicare, which covers the same age group, should also cover the vaccines.
The only unknown, Arel said, are employer-sponsored insurance plans, which are federally regulated.
“It really behooves folks to cover the vaccine,” she said. “It helps to prevent the most severe forms of the disease.”
“Getting vaccinated is the best way for us to protect ourselves and others, especially as we head into the fall season,” Governor Phil Scott said in a press release his office issued highlighting the order. “This order is a necessary step to make sure those who want a vaccine, can get one.”
The order is effective until August 31, 2026, unless rescinded earlier.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/VWH-GettyImages-1460562417-4376a40956134d1a8d5a964e73e634bb.jpg "Which One Is Better for Heart Health?")
