State lawmakers to introduce legislation to protect access to vaccines through pharmacists
Rep. Jennifer M. O'Mara September 2, 2025
HARRISBURG, Sept. 2 – In Washington, there has been increasing turmoil among health policy agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that handle many important aspects of public health, including vaccines. Because of this, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Tarik Khan, Bridget M. Kosierowski and Jennifer M. O’Mara intend to introduce legislation that would protect Pennsylvanians’ access to vaccines provided by pharmacists regardless of federal policy changes.
Current state law allows pharmacists to administer vaccines based on federal recommendations from the CDC. This new legislation would allow pharmacists to provide vaccines also based on recommendations from state health authorities, which may be informed by professional medical societies.
“We will very soon see pharmacies cease their providing of certain vaccines due to the ongoing political turmoil in our federal health agencies, including the CDC,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “Chaos in federal health agency policymaking, which is no longer backed by scientific evidence, but instead by anti-vaccine ideology, will cost people’s lives. This legislation will allow Pennsylvanians to avoid this politicization of healthcare and get the life-saving vaccines they need, even if the federal government stops recommending them purely due to politics.”
State vaccination administration approvals would additionally come from Pennsylvania’s state health authorities, and they could be informed by several professional medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
“Vaccines are safe and effective,” said O’Mara, D-Delaware. “Decisions about vaccine availability need to be based on real science from medical professionals, and Pennsylvania medical professionals can be trusted to make those decisions.”
“I’ve cared for patients who got sick because they couldn’t get the vaccines they needed,” said Khan, D-Phila. “No parent should have to worry that politics in Washington will stop their child from getting a life-saving shot. That’s why this legislation matters — it makes sure people can get protected here in Pennsylvania and it will save lives.”
“As both a nurse and a legislator, I understand how vital vaccines are to our public health,” said Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna. “We must ensure that Pennsylvanians continue to have reliable access to vaccines at their local pharmacies—based on trusted medical guidance, not federal uncertainty. That’s why I’m advancing legislation to keep vaccine access strong and grounded in expert care.”
This matter is also being taken up by Gov. Josh Shapiro, but Venkat believes a more permanent, legislative solution is needed for it.
“We have seen forceful pushback against the chaos at the CDC by the governor, who has spoken on the potential for executive actions to protect vaccine access,” said Venkat. “However, we need a stronger, permanent solution to ensure that Pennsylvanians can receive their needed vaccinations even after we are past this moment of political turmoil.”
The proposal for this legislation comes less than a week after Khan, Kosierowski and Venkat, all health care professionals, introduced H.B. 1828, which would protect coverage by private insurers for vaccines recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Health that may be informed by professional medical societies.
It is estimated that vaccines have prevented 150 million deaths worldwide in the last 50 years.
The four lawmakers are circulating their proposed legislation among their colleagues. They plan to formally introduce the legislation soon.