Arizona health officials issue orders to preserve timely access to flu and COVID vaccines

Arizona health officials are ensuring residents can still get flu and COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies during the 2026–27 respiratory illness season, even if federal recommendations are unclear or delayed.

Normally, Arizona pharmacists need a vaccine to be recommended by a federal advisory committee or authorized through a prescription. Because the committee’s upcoming schedule is uncertain, the Arizona Department of Health Services issued two statewide “standing orders,” one for COVID-19 and the other for influenza, on Tuesday.

In simple terms, the DHS standing order acts like a prescription for the entire state. It allows qualified pharmacists and health care providers to administer FDA-approved flu and COVID-19 vaccines to Arizonans who want them.

It should be noted that the orders don’t mandate that pharmacies offer vaccinations or that insurance will cover the shots.

How this impacts Arizonans going into flu season

Without the order, some residents might face delays or additional steps when trying to get vaccinated at a pharmacy. The standing order is intended to prevent that potential gap in access.

However, it doesn’t mean that every pharmacy already has the vaccines in stock or that every insurance plan will cover them. Residents should contact their pharmacy or health care provider to ask about availability, eligibility requirements and cost.

“Our standing order definitely provides the ability for pharmacies to order those vaccines and administer them to those individuals who are looking for them,” interim DHS director Nicole Witt told reporters Tuesday. “Pharmacies across Arizona are ready to vaccinate people.”

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