Massachusetts vows continued vaccine access as ACIP meets; state posts COVID-19 guidance recommending vaccination for ages 6 months and older

Governor Shindell said Massachusetts will ensure residents can obtain medically recommended vaccines as the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meets in Washington this week and as state health officials posted new COVID-19 vaccine guidance.

The announcement comes a day before ACIP’s two-day meeting in which the panel is scheduled to consider MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella), hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. “So bottom line, in Massachusetts, if you want a vaccine, you'll get a vaccine,” Governor Shindell said, adding the state will make vaccines available for children and adults and protect access even if federal policy changes.

The nut of the state action is the Department of Public Health’s publication of COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for the 2025–26 season. “These recommendations come with supporting statements from the Northeast Public Health Collaborative and also are backed by the professional societies across this country,” Dr. Robbie Goldstein, commissioner of the Department of Public Health, said. The posted guidance recommends vaccination for everyone in…