By Tiffany Williams –
Massachusetts and Maine are going their own way on COVID-19 vaccines — blasting past Washington gridlock and taking direct aim at President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who are moving to restrict access nationwide.
On Tuesday, Gov. Maura Healey’s administration unveiled sweeping 2025-2026 vaccine guidance through the state Department of Public Health. The rules recommend COVID shots for kids as young as six months, all adults, seniors, the immunocompromised, and pregnant or lactating women.
“We are not going to let Donald Trump or Robert Kennedy take away your ability to make your own health care decisions,” Healey vowed. “Massachusetts will continue to lead with science and protect access to life-saving vaccines.”
The plan is aggressive — rolled out days before the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices even votes on national guidelines. Healey’s team issued a standing order empowering pharmacists to vaccinate anyone who wants a shot, forced insurers to cover the cost, and authorized pharmacists to administer any vaccine recommended by the state commissioner regardless of federal decisions.
“Vaccines remain the most effective public health intervention of the past century,” Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said. “Today, we are protecting our residents by providing recommendations grounded in evidence and equity, not politics.”
The guidance was crafted with the Northeast Public Health Collaborative and backed by major medical groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics. Massachusetts also joined a regional pact to safeguard vaccine access while Trump and Kennedy slash federal public health programs.
Maine followed suit. Gov. Janet Mills announced Friday that her state’s CDC has issued a standing order authorizing pharmacists and other providers to administer COVID shots to anyone who wants them — no prescription required. The Maine Bureau of Insurance also ordered state-regulated health plans to cover the vaccines in full.
“I will not stand idly by while the Trump Administration makes it harder for Maine people to get a vaccine that protects their health and could very well save their life,” Mills said.
Maine CDC Director Dr. Puthiery Va said the standing order tears down barriers by letting pharmacists directly vaccinate patients. The guidance echoes Massachusetts, recommending shots for children six months and up, risk-based vaccination for kids and teens, and universal vaccination for adults.
Still, both states caution that vaccine inventory for kids may be delayed until after the feds act — ACIP is set to meet Sept. 18-19 before opening the federal ordering system.