AUGUSTA – A majority of the Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee voted Tuesday to advance legislation sponsored by Rep. Sally Cluchey, D-Bowdoinham, that would protect and expand access to vaccines in Maine.
As amended, LD 2071 would decouple Maine’s vaccine policy from federal CDC guidance by allowing all vaccines that are FDA-licensed and that are consistent with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to be administered by a pharmacist. Additionally, for state-regulated insurance plans, no copays would be required. Other federally- regulated insurance plans may still require them.
“Maine families deserve access to safe, effective vaccines, and we can’t let federal uncertainty put that at risk,” said Cluchey. “This legislation ensures that evidence, not politics, guides how we protect public health in Maine. I appreciate the work the committee did on this bill and their support to move it forward. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the State House to get this bill over the finish line.”
In practice, patients may not receive vaccines, such as a tetanus booster or shingles vaccines, during a routine checkup. Allowing pharmacists to administer such vaccines would help patients receive timely and accessible care. This flexibility is particularly important in Maine, where primary care is becoming harder to access. Maine is projected to be short 120 primary care physicians by 2030, and 13 of the state’s 16 counties are currently designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas. Expanding pharmacists’ authority to administer vaccines would help fill this gap while easing the workload on primary care providers.
The bill faces votes in the House and Senate in the coming weeks.
Rep. Cluchey is serving her second term in the Maine House and represents House District 52, which includes the communities of Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Richmond and Perkins Island Township. She serves on the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee and the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.
Brian Lee (Cluchey) | 305-965-2744