Connecticut elected officials and disability rights organizations this week called on Gov. Ned Lamont to take action on the state’s vaccine eligibility guidelines amid uncertainty over federal vaccine policy under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership.
Over the past week, some states have made early moves to take control of vaccine guidance.
In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey this week directed the state Department of Public Health to authorize pharmacists to administer the new COVID vaccine to anyone 5 years of age or older, despite recent changes to eligibility from the FDA. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday issued a similar directive.
In late August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved new COVID-19 vaccines for the fall, but only for people 65 and older and those who are at high-risk for severe disease. Previously, the vaccines were available to anyone 6 months or older. The move was significant because federal vaccine guidelines determine both the availability of vaccines and coverage by insurers.
Attorneys with Disability Rights CT and the CT Council on Developmental Disabilities sent a letter to Lamont on Friday requesting that he issue state guidance with broader eligibility standards.
“We urge you to follow the lead of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and adopt and publicize a broader standard eliminating the need to prove such a condition and requiring all insurance plans to continue to cover vaccinations outside of the [Centers for Disease Control] guidelines,” the attorneys stated in the letter. They also noted that the Association of Massachusetts Health Plans had agreed to continue providing coverage for the shots.
Rob Blanchard, a spokesperson for Lamont, said the state “will be preparing what we must to ensure no one’s health is jeopardized in Connecticut.” However, the statement did not address the request from the disabilities rights organizations or the current availability of vaccines for those younger than 65 without underlying health conditions.
As of Friday morning, the availability of vaccines in Connecticut was still in flux.
Western state governors are working regionally to issue public health guidance. On Wednesday, a handful of governors announced the creation of the West Coast Health Alliance “to uphold scientific integrity in public health as Trump destroys CDC’s credibility,” according to a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. Oregon, Washington and Hawaii are also part of the coalition.
In a statement issued the following day, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, and Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, called on northeastern states to follow suit, while acknowledging that some level of coordination is already happening.
“The West Coast Health Alliance also comes amid reports that Connecticut was one of eight states to send public health officials to a recent meeting about forming their own regional alliance. Such an effort would allow states to make health recommendations and guidance directly to the public. Sens. Looney and Duff encouraged Connecticut officials to pursue these partnerships,” the statement read.
Brittany Schaefer, a spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, confirmed that Commissioner Manisha Juthani and other staff attended a regional meeting of public health officials last month that allowed the states to share strategies “at a time of federal health restructuring and cuts.”
“CT has regularly collaborated with neighboring states as public health challenges extend beyond state lines and those conversations have ramped up in recent months following recent federal health changes,” Schaefer said when asked about the statement from Sens. Duff and Looney.
On Friday evening, Lamont issued a public statement on vaccine access, citing Connecticut’s work during “the most challenging days of the pandemic” to bring down the infection rate and roll out the vaccine.
“The health and safety of Connecticut’s residents has always been a priority for our administration, and while the federal government may be taking an alarming turn in their vaccine and preventative care policies, Connecticut will continue to lead the nation on immunization,” the statement read. “We will do everything we can to protect the public’s health and are already partnering with neighboring states. While Washington puts politics over health, we’ll be preparing what we must to ensure no one’s health is jeopardized in Connecticut.”
