COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Health Care Providers

Statewide Vaccine Standing Order

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has issued a statewide standing order, under the direction of the State Health Officer, authorizing qualified health care personnel to vaccinate individuals aged 6 months and older, including pregnant people, who do not have contraindications to the vaccine.

The standing order follows the:

The standing order does not follow the CDC Immunization Schedule published August 7, 2025.

Our priority remains ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The COVID-19 virus continues to pose serious health risks in Washington state, including hospitalizations, long COVID, and preventable deaths. These risks are most prominent in pregnant people, young children, older adults, people with chronic conditions, and those who remain unvaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines remain 1 of our most effective tools for preventing severe illness. We encourage all eligible Washingtonians to stay up to date on their vaccinations to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the broader community.

 

COVID-19 Vaccine Insurance Coverage:
A guide for health care providers and health system partners (PDF)

  • People who are up to date have lower risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 than people who are unvaccinated or who have not completed the doses recommended for them by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).
  • Everyone 6 months and older needs 1 or more updated COVID-19 vaccine dose to be up to date.
  • People 65 years old and older should receive 2 doses of any updated COVID-19 vaccine 6 months apart. If needed, the second dose can be given as soon as 2 months after the first dose.
  • Children 6 to 23 months may need more than 1 dose of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine if not previously vaccinated or if they didn’t complete the initial series. 
  • People 6 months and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should complete a primary series with an age appropriate updated COVID-19 vaccine if not previously vaccinated. Immunocompromised persons may receive additional doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after their last dose.
  • People 6 months and older who have already completed a primary series and are moderately or severely immunocompromised should get at least 2 doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine 6 months apart.

Available COVID-19 Vaccines

There are 2 types of COVID-19 vaccines available:

  • mRNA vaccines
    • Moderna Spikevax 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine - available for ages 6 months and older
    • Moderna mNEXSPIKE 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine - available for ages 12 and older
    • Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine - available for ages 5 years and older
  • Protein subunit vaccines
    • Novavax Nuvaxovid 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine - available for ages 12 years and older

There is no preferential recommendation for one COVID-19 vaccine over another when more than one recommended and age-appropriate vaccine is available. COVID-19 vaccine can be received at the same time as other recommended vaccines.

COVID-19 Vaccine Resources for Providers

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get answers about the COVID-19 Vaccine Standing Orders and my liability in administering this vaccine “off label”?

Please review the FAQs for Health Care Providers for answers to some of your questions. We are continuing to update the FAQs as quickly as possible to add more answers when we have them available.

Who should get an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccines?

Adults 65 years and older should receive a second dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after their first dose. In addition, moderately or severely immunocompromised persons who have previously completed an initial series should receive 2 doses of an updated COVID-19 vaccine, spaced 6 months apart. They may also talk with their health care provider about additional doses based on clinical judgement.

You can find more information on additional doses for immunocompromised adults in the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance. Guidance for immunocompromised children can be found in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance (PDF).

What ages are the vaccines recommended for?
  • Moderna Spikevax: 6 months and older
  • Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty: 5 years and older
  • Moderna mNEXSPIKE: 12 years and older
  • Novavax Nuvaxovid: 12 years and older

For more details, see the DOH COVID-19 Vaccine Schedule (PDF).

Are there any restrictions on who can receive the vaccine?

Generally, the COVID-19 vaccines should not be given to anyone who is under the authorized age or has a history of severe allergic reactions to an ingredient or previous dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty

This vaccine should not be given to anyone:

  • Under 5 years of age
  • Outside of the appropriate age dose
  • Who had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose or to a component of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna)

Moderna Spikevax

This vaccine should not be given to anyone:

  • Under 6 months of age
  • Outside of the appropriate age dose
  • Who had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose or to a component of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna)

Moderna mNEXSPIKE

This vaccine should not be given to anyone:

  • Under 12 years of age
  • Outside of the appropriate age dose
  • Who had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose or to a component of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna)

Novavax Nuvaxovid

This vaccine currently should not be given:

  • To anyone under the age of 12 years old until further research can support its use in that age category
  • Outside the appropriate age dose

Check the list of contraindications and precautions for more information.

Should I administer the vaccine to patients with a history of allergies?

The COVID-19 vaccines should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergic reaction, such as anaphylaxis, to any ingredient or a previous dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.

People who have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies may still be able to receive this vaccine. However, providers should do a risk assessment and counsel them about the potential risks. If the patient decides to get the vaccine, providers should observe them for 30 minutes to monitor for any immediate reactions. People who report having mild or childhood allergic reactions to medications or vaccines may still get the vaccine.

Can patients receive both COVID-19 and other routine vaccines at the same time on the same day?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccine can be administered at the same time as other recommended vaccines.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine work against variant strains?

COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even against variants. However, public health experts are seeing reduced protection against mild and moderate COVID-19 illness, especially among-high risk populations.

The updated COVID-19 vaccines were created to help boost immunity and provide better protection from the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant. It’s important to get all recommended doses available for best protection. Receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore protection and provide enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States.

Vaccination is the best protection against severe COVID-19 illness.

How quickly is someone protected from COVID-19 after receiving the vaccine?

It will take about 2 weeks after someone receives a COVID-19 vaccine dose to have maximum protection. Protection may wane over time, so it’s important to stay up to date with all doses recommended.

What is the recommended dosage and schedule?

Please refer to the following resources for more information:

Why should children get vaccinated against COVID-19?

More than 1,500 U.S. children have died from or with COVID-19 since the pandemic began. New COVID-19 variants are more dangerous and infectious to young children than the original strains and led to peak COVID-19 hospitalizations.

While COVID-19 is often milder in children than adults, children can still get very sick and spread it to friends and family who are immunocompromised or vulnerable in other ways.

Children who are infected with COVID-19 can develop "Long COVID" or persistent symptoms that often include brain fog, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and shortness of breath. Vaccination is the best way to keep kids healthy and safe.

Children who get infected with COVID-19 may be at greater risk for Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). MIS-C is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. While it is still unknown what causes MIS-C, many children with MIS-C had COVID-19 or had been around someone with COVID-19. MIS-C can be serious, even deadly, but most children diagnosed with this condition have gotten better with medical care.

What can I do as a provider to support COVID-19 vaccinations for youth?

COVID-19 vaccine providers can help youth get their COVID-19 vaccine by:

  • Listening to your patient's concerns and answering their questions with empathy.
  • Clearly stating your available vaccine types during the scheduling process, on the registration form, and at the clinic site.
  • Making your consent process clear during the scheduling process. Provide any necessary forms and let youth know what they need to bring to confirm consent. You should include if your organization:
    • Requires an authorized adult to provide consent in person for the vaccine
    • Applies the Mature Minor Doctrine
    • Accepts consent from school nurses and school counselors for minors who are unhoused through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Questions?

General questions can be sent to covid.vaccine@doh.wa.gov. Any media inquiries can be sent to doh-pio@doh.wa.gov.