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CVS, the nation's largest pharmacy chain, is no longer offering COVID-19 shots in 16 states, including Florida, New York and Pennsylvania
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even to vulnerable patients who meet new narrowed criteria from the Food and Drug Administration
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The New York Times reports that the move comes due to uncertainty with, quote
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the current regulatory environment, citing a company spokesperson. Some states prohibit pharmacists from administering vaccines not recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice, a Center for Disease Control and Prevention panel
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That panel is not scheduled to meet for another three weeks, and some in Congress are calling for the meeting to be postponed indefinitely in the wake of high-profile resignations at the CDC
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Last year, the panel recommended updated COVID-19 vaccines in June, but there is debate among legal ysts whether that recommendation still stands, and CVS is erring on the side of caution
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Walgreens is also reportedly limiting vaccinations and requiring prescriptions for immunizations. It comes as COVID-19 cases are on the rise nationwide and expected to tick up further in the coming months, according to the CDC
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Some doctors are concerned that the barriers to vaccines may mean fewer people will be immunized during peak COVID season
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Vaccination rates have reportedly fallen dramatically since the height of the pandemic
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A CDC assessment reveals that just 23 percent of adults and 13 percent of children got a COVID-19 vaccine last season
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