Update: June 27, 2021
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is aware that several states have utilized emergency powers to authorize individuals to administer COVID-19 and other vaccines, some of which overlap with active and former healthcare professionals and students authorized by the
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act and the Secretary’s PREP Act Declaration to administer COVID-19 covered countermeasures. As some of these emergency state actions begin to expire, we want to clarify that the PREP Act Declaration authorizes specified healthcare professionals and students to order or administer COVID-19 vaccines, irrespective of state laws or regulations. Similarly, the PREP Act Declaration authorizes pharmacists to order and administer, and pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians to administer, ACIP recommended childhood vaccinations, irrespective of state laws or regulations.
Any State or local laws or requirements that would prohibit, or effectively prohibit, active or former healthcare professionals and students authorized by the PREP Act Declaration from administering vaccines are preempted by the PREP Act.
For more information about which classes of individuals are authorized to administer vaccinations pursuant to the PREP Act, please see the
Expanding the COVID-19 Vaccination Workforce Fact Sheet and find out how you or people in your state or territory can
sign up to administer COVID-19 vaccines in your community.
