Co-owner Eric Abramowitz at Eric's Rx Shoppe unpacks a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines at the store in Horsham, Pa., Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)2025-09-12T19:01:03Z The governors of Arizona, Illinois, Maine and North Carolina on Friday joined the growing list of Democratic officials who have signed orders intended to ensure most residents can receive COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies without individual prescriptions.Unlike past years, access to COVID-19 vaccines has become complicated in 2025, largely because federal guidance does not recommend them for nearly everyone this year as it had in the past.Heres a look at where things stand. Pharmacy chain says the shots are available in most states without individual prescriptionsCVS Health, the biggest pharmacy chain in the U.S., says its stores are offering the shots without an individual prescription in 41 states as of midday Friday.But the remaining states Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia require individual prescriptions under the companys interpretation of state policies.Arizona, Maine and North Carolina are likely to come off that list as the new orders take effect there.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, Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in the 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. Democratic governors have been taking actionAt least 14 states 12 with Democratic governors, plus Virginia, where Republican Glenn Youngkin is governor have announced policies this month to ease access.In some of the states that have expanded access including Delaware and New Jersey earlier in the week and Illinois on Friday at least some pharmacies were already providing the shots broadly.Fridays orders are expected to change the policy in all three states where they were put into place.North Carolinas orders were narrower than most. They apply to everyone age 65 and over and people who are at least 18 and have a risk factor. Other adults would still need prescriptions. Officials said the order takes effect immediately, but that all pharmacies might not have supplies on hand right away. While most Republican-controlled states have not changed vaccine policy this month, the inoculations are still available there under existing policies.In addition to the round of orders from governors, boards of pharmacy and other officials, four states California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington have announced an alliance to make their own vaccine recommendations. Of those, only Oregon doesnt currently allow the shots in pharmacies without individual prescriptions.Vaccines have become politically contentiousIn past years, the federal government has recommended the vaccines to all Americans above the age of 6 months.This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved them for people age 65 and over but said they should be used only for children and younger adults who have a risk factor such as asthma or obesity.That change came as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy fired the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June, accusing of them of being too closely aligned with the companies that make the vaccines. The replacements include vaccine skeptics.Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, framed her order Friday as protecting the health care freedom of people in the state. One state has taken another stance on vaccinesFloridas surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, announced this month that the state could become the first to eliminate requirements that children have a list of vaccinations.Since then, though, the state health department said that the change likely wouldnt take effect until December and that without legislative action, only some vaccines including for chickenpox would become optional. The measles and polio shots would remain mandatory.___Associated Press writer Patrick Whittle in Maine contributed to this report. GEOFF MULVIHILL Mulvihill covers topics on the agendas of state governments across the country. He has focused on abortion, gender issues and opioid litigation. twitter mailto