At Village Apothecary in Woodstock, the waiting chairs fill with a mix of seniors, local teachers with bags slung over their shoulders double-checking that they’ll be back in time for their afternoon class, and a young mother beside her spouse, gently rocking a stroller as they wait. The space is tight, shelves stacked with amber-colored bottles of vitamins and rows of cough drops, a basket full of donation items for the local food pantry. Some patients scribble contact details onto simple paper forms while others thumb through pamphlets or peruse shampoo bottles for a few minutes, until the pharmacist calls out their name over the low hum of the register. It’s an unassuming setting, but one that has become a local go-to access point for the latest Covid-19 vaccine.
In late August, the FDA approved updated vaccines targeting the LP.8.1 sublineage of the JN.1 variant, developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to protect against the strains circulating this season. But the approval came with limits: Only adults 65 and older, and individuals 5 through 64 years with at least one underlying health condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from Covid-19 were officially eligible. Healthy adults under 65, pregnant people, and children were left in a gray area. For local pharmacies, this meant confusion over who could safely get the vaccine and to whom they could legally administer the shot.
“This has been one of the most challenging vaccine rollouts of the last five years,” says Dr. Neal Smoller, Village Apothecary founder and holistic pharmacist. “There have been unnecessary delays and widespread confusion.”
Since the FDA narrowed approval, chain pharmacies and large health systems have largely held the line, often requiring extra paperwork or patient-specific prescriptions ordered by physicians. Some pharmacies turn people away altogether. The result is a steady trickle of patients making long drives to small, independent counters like Village Apothecary. “We have five to ten people a day who tell us they’ve come over an hour because it’s easier and faster,” Smoller says. “That’s jaw-dropping to me.”
Most of those rolling up their sleeves are still over 65, but younger people are coming too—teachers, expectant mothers, people who worry vaccine access may tighten further. What stands out in this small-town pharmacy isn’t one extraordinary story, but the sheer repetition: Daily reminders that access is fragile, and that independent providers are improvising to keep the system working.
New York Pushes Forward
New York is moving to ensure broader coverage. On September 5, Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order declaring a 30-day statewide emergency to expand vaccine access while a long-term legislative solution is developed. The order authorizes both patient-specific (prescriptions written for a particular patient) and non-patient-specific orders, allowing pharmacists to administer Covid-19 vaccines to anyone three and older without a separate prescription for each patient.
“In the absence of federal leadership, we must do everything we can to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the vaccines and preventative healthcare they have come to rely on,” Hochul says. “By signing this executive order, we are sending a clear message that when Washington Republicans play politics with public health, New Yorkers can still get the care they need, close to home, from trusted providers in their own communities.”
Most pharmacies in New York depend on “standing orders”—blanket prescriptions that allow them to vaccinate broad groups of people without needing an individual doctor’s note each time. Normally, these standing orders are guided by recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). But since June, when US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced much of ACIP with members openly skeptical of vaccines, according to Hochul’s press release, the committee has not issued updated guidance for the 2025-26 Covid-19 vaccine.
To fill that gap, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued a standing order for the 2025-26 Moderna Covid-19 vaccine formula. This document lays out how pharmacists should administer the vaccine, including requirements for informing patients, keeping records, and reporting vaccinations. The standing order ensures that pharmacies statewide—from chains to independents—can continue vaccinating without legal uncertainty. Without it, many pharmacists would have had no clear authority to give shots, forcing them to turn patients away.
“Legal ambiguity created a situation where providers weren’t going to give needed, justified vaccines in fear of punishment from regulatory bodies or even insurance,” Smoller says.
“Governor Hochul’s executive order provides access to the Covid vaccine for New Yorkers who choose to get vaccinated, sets us up for a smoother transition to the updated 2025-26 vaccine, and restores pharmacies as a vital part of our vaccination network,” McDonald says in the press release. “While New York State does not require Covid vaccines, vaccination remains one of the most effective tools we have to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from Covid.”
Why Vaccinate?
Alongside expanding access, the New York State health department has issued 2025-26 guidance recommending Covid-19 vaccination for all adults. The guidance clarifies that doctors and pharmacists can use patient-specific orders to give the vaccine to anyone who doesn’t fall under the usual eligibility rules. This means that healthy adults under 65, pregnant people, and others who might not meet the strict federal criteria for access can, under Hochul’s executive order and McDonald’s standing order, request the Covid-19 vaccine “off-label.” Nearly all residents can get vaccinated safely and legally, and should, according to state health guidance.
“Vaccines are a necessary element to reducing deaths and hospitalizations,” says Eve Walter, the Ulster County public health director. “As a highly contagious disease, individual protection also reduces the likelihood of spread, particularly to vulnerable populations who are not yet or unable to be vaccinated.”
The stakes remain high. According to CDC estimates, only 23 percent of adults nationwide had received the 2024-25 Covid-19 vaccine by late April 2025. Meanwhile, data indicates there is an 89 percent probability that the Covid-19 epidemic is currently growing in New York State. Higher vaccination rates are strongly linked to lower rates of hospitalization, which helps prevent local hospitals from being overwhelmed and reduces strain on medical staff.
What This Means in the Hudson Valley
For Hudson Valley residents, local pharmacies remain the most convenient option, Smoller says. Under McDonald’s standing order, chains like Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid, as well as independent drugstores like Village Apothecary, are authorized to administer the updated Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to anyone three and older. Many allow walk-ins, while others accept scheduled appointments.
Village Apothecary also runs a community vaccination program that brings vaccines directly to patients who face barriers, from seniors in assisted living homes to bed-bound individuals and their caregivers across Ulster and Dutchess counties. Staff offer in-home visits within an hour of the pharmacy and work with residents, long-term care facilities, and senior housing to decrease obstacles like transportation, technology, and socioeconomic challenges. “Access issues are a rampant problem and need to be mitigated for vaccination programs to be a success,” Smoller says. The pharmacy also provides vaccines free of charge to refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine at local colleges, who would otherwise have no access due to a lack of coverage in the US.
For those who can make it to the store, independent pharmacies like Village Apothecary treat vaccination as a neighborhood service. “Unlike the chains that require computer access and lengthy sign-up processes to maybe get a vaccine in the diaper aisle, you can walk in Monday through Saturday, 9:30am to 5:30pm,” Smoller says.
For uninsured or underinsured residents, Federally Qualified Health Centers—community-based, nonprofit clinics that provide comprehensive primary care services to medically underserved populations—offer vaccinations on a sliding scale fee, making the shot more financially accessible, and county health departments operate free clinics. For example, Dutchess County runs an information line where residents can check availability and schedule appointments. The Ulster County appointment-based clinic provides a safety net for uninsured populations that might otherwise fall through the cracks. These resources are particularly critical for households without a regular primary care provider or those who rely on local pharmacies for routine healthcare.
For Hudson Valley residents trying to navigate the next wave of Covid-19 vaccinations, the combination of state policy and local infrastructure means the region is prepared, but proactive planning still matters. Calling ahead, checking local pharmacies’ availability, and keeping track of county updates can make the difference between getting the shot quickly and waiting weeks for an appointment.
“I recognize that given so many of us have had Covid and vaccinations have been around for a few years, that it is hard to know what the implications of not getting vaccinated might look like, but with Covid not going away and new strains emerging, I fear what that outcome would look like for individuals at risk and overall public health,” Walter says, if vaccination rates continue to be low.
Back in Woodstock, Village Apothecary’s chairs are full again—a landscaper brushing dirt from his boots, two retirees chatting about the weather, a toddler tugging at her mother’s sleeve—small reminders that the future of public health is decided one waiting room at a time.
Where to Get Vaccinated
Independent Pharmacies
Find vaccine locations at Vaccines.gov.
Chain Pharmacies
Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid locations across the region are authorized under New York’s standing order to administer vaccines to anyone three and older. Call ahead or check online for appointment policies.
Federally Qualified Health Centers
Provide vaccines on a sliding scale fee for uninsured or underinsured residents.
County Health Clinics
Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health
Call (845) 486-3555. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 9am to 4pm by appointment only.
Ulster County Department of Health
Call (845) 340-3070. Appointment-only, first and third Wednesday every month.
Columbia County Department of Health
Call (518) 828-3358. Appointment-only, every Tuesday 1 to 4pm and select Tuesdays 4 to 6pm.
Orange County Department of Health
Call (845) 291-2330 for availability and scheduling.
This article appears in October 2025.
