This story has been updated with more details.
Additional reporting by Hannah Cree.
The Pima County Health Department issued a mandate that will allow its health clinics to distribute the new COVID-19 boosters, following an executive order from Governor Katie Hobbs.
Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen authorized a standing order on Friday, that allows its clinics to give the new COVID shots without a prescription. Arizona law currently says without approval from either the state health department or the Centers for Disease Control, pharmacists can’t administer vaccines without one.
“In the context of vaccines, it allows for professionals who are within their scope of practice, like a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse, to provide vaccinations without getting a doctor's order that's attached to that individual patient,” Assistant Director of Clinical Services Crystal Ramboud said.
Although the standing order removes the need for a prescription, Pima County patients who want a vaccine through the health clinic will need to be evaluated either in-person or through telehealth, and it does not apply to commercial pharmacies, which are currently not offering COVID shots across Arizona.
Appointments can be made by reviewing clinic locations and hours on the County’s website and calling the preferred clinic directly.
Hobbs’ executive order directs the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Board of Pharmacy to “make vaccines, including the recently approved COVID vaccine, broadly accessible and available to Arizonans who want them.”
Hobbs has also allowed AZDHS to issue a similar statewide standing order, however, it’s not clear yet whether that will allow commercial pharmacies to offer the shots.
The move comes as many states try to increase patient eligibility, after the Food and Drug Administration limited their recommendation to adults over 65 and people with underlying health conditions.
However, many other health agencies are going beyond the FDA’s limited guidelines, saying it reduces the risk of severe illness from COVID and should be available to all.
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends the booster for adults 18 and over, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended it for children under 18. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also recommends it for pregnant women, which the CDC removed from it’s standard vaccine schedule.
Approval from the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices previously allowed pharmacists to distribute vaccines without a prescription in Arizona. But this year, amidst a massive overhaul at the CDC panel led by vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., health leaders are not sure the new booster will be approved at a highly anticipated meeting next week.
“The priority is really getting those doses available to the public, regardless of what happens next week at the CDC meeting,” said Ramboud.
Ramboud said the county will receive Pfizer and Moderna vaccine formulations, and limited quantities of the new COVID formulation will be available next week, with more expected sometime in October.
The Health Department also is planning vaccination clinics next month that will provide flu shots in addition to COVID. Locations and times for those clinics will be released soon, the department said in a press release.
Ramboud said it's normal to feel hesitant with many new and sometimes contradictory messages coming from the federal government, and talking to trusted medical professionals can ease concerns.
“I don't think anybody needs to feel any kind of judgment towards themselves for feeling like that,” she said. “Going to the health department and talking to one of our public health nurses and discussing those concerns and having those things heard is the most important thing.”
Read the original brief below.
Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen has issued a standing order allowing County Health clinics to administer COVID-19 vaccines to most people who request them.
The decision follows a Sept. 11 executive order from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs directing medical providers to offer the vaccine in line with “nationally recognized professional clinical guidance that ensures the broadest possible access.”
Patients seeking the vaccine will be evaluated at County Health clinics or through telehealth under the same clinical standards, Cullen said. She noted that supplies remain limited but additional doses are expected soon. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to check with their medical providers or local pharmacies for COVID and other seasonal vaccines.
Appointments can be made by reviewing clinic locations and hours on the County’s website and calling the preferred clinic directly.
The Health Department also plans to host vaccination events in October offering both flu and COVID-19 shots. Dates and locations will be announced in the coming weeks.
