WA Health Department issues order to provide easy access to COVID vaccine
Most Washington residents won’t need a prescription to get the COVID-19 vaccine at their local clinic or pharmacy, the state Department of Health (DOH) announced Friday.
That’s because the department has issued a new standing order for the vaccine to make it easier for people to get the jab.
The move comes after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently revealed a series of actions restricting who’s eligible for COVID shots. It also coincides with the rapid spread of the new Stratus variant across Washington and nationwide.
DOH is reasserting its COVID-19 vaccination guidance: Residents 6 months and older should stay up to date on their shots, including pregnant women, to help prevent hospitalization, severe illness and death.
“COVID-19 vaccines are well-researched, well-tested, and have saved millions of lives around the world,” Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, DOH state health officer, said in a Sept. 5 news release.
Most private insurers cover the vaccine, as does Apple Health and the state’s childhood and adult vaccine programs.
Earlier this week, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the formation of the new West Coast Health Alliance. Oregon, California and Hawaii are also part of the group offering public health guidance to the region amid shakeups in the federal health department and Centers for Disease Control.
“Washington State will not compromise when it comes to our values: science drives our public health policy,” the state’s Health Secretary Dennis Worsham said in a statement.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 12:36 PM.
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