DENVER — Governor Jared Polis has ordered state health officials to allow pharmacies and doctors to administer this year’s updated COVID-19 vaccine to people who want it without a prescription starting Friday in the wake of new federal guidelines that limited their use for millions across the U.S.
In a statement Wednesday, Polis announced he would be directing state health officials to issue public health and standing orders that expand access to the vaccine by removing “ridiculous and costly red tape” to ensure Coloradans who wish to get vaccinated against the virus can do so. Among the provisions, state health officials will make sure the COVID-19 vaccine is covered under all health insurance plans.
The announcement comes a week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limited COVID-19 vaccines to seniors and those at higher risk of severe disease from the virus, while limiting them for younger adults and children. The move sowed chaos and confusion across pharmacies throughout the country, including here in Colorado, and forced Polis to announce over the Labor Day weekend via Reddit that he would take action to make sure Coloradans who wanted the vaccine could get it at their local pharmacy.
People who currently want to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine in the state need a prescription from their doctor in order to get one. However, doctors may be hesitant to prescribe them “off label” after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned physicians last month that straying from CDC recommendations on vaccines would not shield them from liability.
- Read the public health order from the CDPHE regarding the updated COVID-19 vaccine here or in the embed below:
“Colorado is committed to empowering individuals to make choices to protect their own health and safety, and I will not allow ridiculous and costly red tape or decisions made far away in Washington to keep Coloradans from accessing vaccines,” Polis said in a statement. “Starting this Friday, the COVID-19 vaccine should be available to those who choose at many local pharmacies.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the governor’s office said the narrow federal authorization “gets in the way of Coloradans making our own healthcare decisions and would have inconvenienced Coloradans who want increased COVID-19 protection by requiring a doctor’s prescription.”
The FDA’s limited approval, the spokesperson said, “has created confusion and uncertainty because it appears to conflict with recommendations previously issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the guidance issued by several professional organizations.”
Denver7 spoke with Emily Zadvorny, CEO of the Colorado Pharmacists Society, about that confusion.
"We as pharmacists, and maybe other providers, are caught a little bit in a gray area, not only on what we can practice, but also what might be covered," Zadvorny explained.
Currently, state law only allows health care providers to administer vaccines based on recommendations by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) to the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Provisions put in place for school-required immunizations (which do not include the COVID-19 vaccine), however, do allow some flexibility for doctors and pharmacies to take into consideration recommendations from other leading medical groups apart from the CDC.
The law was written with those safeguards in mind after Colorado lawmakers and doctors on the frontlines saw what they described as “increasing political involvement” in medicine with the appointment of Kennedy as the nation’s top health official.
National News
AAP's COVID immunization schedule now diverges from CDC
Earlier this year, the HHS secretary — a prominent vaccine skeptic — replaced the entire CDC panel, naming several doctors and researchers who have repeatedly questioned the safety of commonly used vaccines and ingredients.
Statements made last week by Kennedy and another federal health official — both outspoken critics of wide-scale vaccinations — did not do much to ease health experts' concerns about vaccine accessibility.
In a social media post announcing the updated FDA criteria, Kennedy said the updated COVID-19 vaccines would be “available for all patients who choose them after consulting with their doctors.”
That statement was followed hours later by similar remarks from FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who also took to social media to address concerns about the new limits placed on the shots. "100% of adults in this country can still get the vaccine if they chose. We are not limiting availability to anyone,” he said.
But federal data shows those statements are not aligned with the financial realities of many people across the country.
Data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics show that about 12% of U.S. adults under the age of 65 — or 23.1 million people — were uninsured as of last year.
Complicating matters further is the fact that the CDC advisory panel in charge of making vaccine recommendations has yet to meet — a necessary step insurance companies rely on to base their vaccine coverage decisions each year. That could mean many would have had to pay out-of-pocket to get the vaccine in Colorado.
While their efficacy against infection has largely waned since their initial rollout in the early days of the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccines do a good job preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death, which remain a bigger risk for seniors, young children and people with underlying health risks.
In Colorado, more than 4,500 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 since Oct. 1, 2024, according to state health officials.
“This order ensures that Colorado takes every step possible to prevent hospitalizations, protect frontline health care workers, and preserve critical health care resources,” said Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan. “Equitable vaccine access is a cornerstone of protecting the public’s health.”
Zadvorny said just because the order will be in place, not every pharmacy will use or even have the COVID-19 vaccine in stock.
"My advice would also be to wait a few days, because I think pharmacies are overwhelmed with patients calling and asking about this, and they don't have it in stock quite yet," Zadvorny said.
While many local pharmacies are still waiting for a supply, Safeway announced that pharmacies across Colorado will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to individuals ages 12 and older with no prescription required beginning Friday, Sept. 5.
On Friday, the Colorado Board of Pharmacy will meet for an emergency session to address the state's updated guidelines. Zadvorny hopes the meeting will ensure pharmacies and their employees are protected as they administer shots under Colorado's new standing order.
"I think it just comes down to allowing pharmacists to really practice at that scope and training they're used to as certified immunizers," she said.
Colorado’s public health orders will remain in effect until Sept. 4, 2026, unless amended or rescinded, state officials said.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.