Governor Cuomo Issues Executive Order Regarding Immunization
Earlier today, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order (EO) to authorize the New York State Department of Health and local health departments to establish and conduct programs for the immunization to prevent or minimize the spread of disease and to protect the public health;
• The EO is intended to remove or minimize barriers to the voluntary vaccination of as many individuals as possible as quickly as possible against COVID-19 and influenza, by making available the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities necessary to conduct such vaccinations and facilitating the timely and accurate reporting of vaccinations;
• The program will be operated under the medical supervision of licensed physicians, licensed physician assistants, or certified nurse practitioners, to utilize certain individuals or health professionals who are: (1) not currently authorized to administer vaccinations but who are licensed or certified pursuant to specific provisions of the Education Law or the Public Health Law; or (2) enrolled in an educational or training program pursuant to Education Law or Public Health Law, as specified within the Executive Order and who will be evaluated and trained as necessary, to administer COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations and is pursuant to a non-patient specific standing order and applicable guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the New York State Department of Health;
• The health professionals licensed or certified under the Education Law or the Public Health Law are authorized to engage in specific scopes of practice, and this Order shall not expand the scopes of practice of these professionals to allow them routinely to administer vaccinations, but rather will allow them to vaccinate only under the extremely limited circumstances described in and for the duration of the Order.