NY State EP Alert 9.8.2025|COVID-19 Vaccines in NYS
Late Friday, September 5, 2025, the NYS Department of Health (DOH/the Department) and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) released several documents with detailed recommendations for clinicians surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. The guidance followed Executive Order (EO) #52 issued last week by Governor Hochul, who acted to ensure New Yorkers had access to the vaccines regardless of federal recommendations, restrictions, or delays.
Under the EO and the DOH guidance, Certified Immunizer pharmacists will be able to administer all three approved COVID-19 vaccines to all people aged three years and older. Several mechanisms have been put into place to allow this widespread access, including allowing pharmacists to prescribe the vaccines off-label with patient consent.
Considering that over 90% of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in pharmacies, maintaining this access point is critical for public health.
Per DOH, all individuals aged three and up are encouraged to receive one shot of one of the Fall 2025 formulation of COVID-19 vaccines. Similar to the annual flu shot, doing so will protect the recipient against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from the viral illness. There is no confirmed medical contraindication for receiving both the COVID-19 and flu shots at the same visit.
HCP notes that people still need to plan ahead by checking with their pharmacist for vaccine availability, as the state does not require all pharmacies to offer the vaccines to all patients. For example, as of last week, CVS and Walgreens were offering COVID-19 immunizations, but limited administration to the populations defined by the federal guidance.
This is a dynamic development, and HCP will keep you informed as it changes. We do expect EO#52 to be extended beyond its current 30-day timeframe.
Please share this important information with your staff and patients.
Connect with HCP if you have questions about the guidelines and register now for Wednesday’s HCP Compliance Quick Takes webinar on home care vaccine requirements. The 30-minute webinar starts at 12:30pm and is free for members and non-members.