Most Maine residents are once again eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations under a change ordered by Gov. Janet Mills.
Last month, federal regulators changed the guidelines so that only those with a high-risk medical condition or who are age 65 or older qualify for the latest COVID vaccines. That's out of step with the recommendations from some leading public health organizations, who increasingly find themselves at odds by the decisions made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a longtime vaccine skeptic — and other officials in the Trump administration.
On Friday, Mills directed the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a "standing order" that will allow Mainers to receive COVID shots at pharmacies, clinics and doctor’s offices without first obtaining a prescription. In a related move, the Maine Bureau of Insurance notified health insurers on Friday that they are required to provide full coverage of COVID vaccines.
“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 in a statement. “Through this standing order, we are stepping up to knock down the barriers the Trump Administration is putting in the way of the health and welfare of Maine people.”
Maine now joins a number of mostly northeastern and northwestern states that are stepping around the federal government and basing their vaccine policies on the recommendations of major medical groups. Maine CDC said its COVID vaccine policy is based on "evidence-based guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists."
Matt Wellington, associate director at the Maine Public Health Association, welcomed the news.
"But I would say it's also unfortunate that we live in a country now where your ability to get a potentially life-saving vaccine will depend no the state you live in," Wellington said. "So it's good news in Maine who want to keep themselves and their families safe. But I think it's unfortunate that we're not seeing the same response from all over the country."
