Washington state pharmacies are once again administering COVID-19 booster shots, after Washington state officials authorized healthcare providers to bypass new federal restrictions.
In early September, the Washington State Department of Health issued a standing order empowering pharmacists and other medical professionals to give out the most recent COVID vaccines to anyone 6 months or older.
The order came in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration restricting the availability of the most recent versions of the shots. In August, the federal agency limited access to people 65 years or older and patients with health issues that put them at risk of developing complications from the illness.
The FDA’s recommendation prevents younger and healthy people from getting vaccinated at pharmacies without a prescription. However, Washington’s new order gives pharmacies in the state the ability to bypass the restrictions and administer COVID booster shots without a doctor's approval.
This came as a relief for Ahmed Ali, a pharmacist and the co-owner of The Station Pharmacy, which has locations in Seattle and Tukwila. Ali said the state’s standing order allows him to vaccinate patients without worrying “whether the federal government is going to come after me.”
The federal restrictions caused a lot of confusion and led Ali’s staff to place customers who wanted to get vaccinated on a waiting list. “We were keeping all of our patients on stand-by,” he said. “We have a list of about 20 to 30 patients who have called in the last two weeks asking if we have received the vaccine.”
Ali's pharmacies have since received the 2025-2026 COVID vaccines and began administering them to patients.
The state is advising people who head to a pharmacy for their booster shot to bring a digital or printed copy of the standing order with them. If a pharmacy refuses to vaccinate a person, they can file a complaint with the state.
There have been some reports of pharmacies refusing to vaccinate patients, according to Department of Health spokesperson Frank Ameduri. The state is assessing those complaints, but he said the standing order is still fairly new and officials are working to educate healthcare providers about the new policy.
