Nevada Legislative Leader Calls for Action Amid COVID Vaccine Disruptions

Strategic Insights -

Nevada Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat, is urging her state to take action following reports that local public health agencies do not have updated COVID vaccines and private retail pharmacies in Nevada cannot administer them until further federal action is taken. This comes amid turmoil within the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and changes to COVID vaccine recommendations. Cannizzaro has instructed legislative staff to explore statutory and regulatory options to address the crisis, which could be considered at the first possible opportunity.

Key Takeaways:

  • The CDC has stopped recommending the COVID vaccine for children and pregnant women, and the FDA has recommended boosters only for people 65 or older and those at high risk of complications.
  • Nevada public health agencies, including the Southern Nevada Health District and Northern Nevada Public Health, do not have the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
  • CVS, the nation's largest retail pharmacy chain, will not offer the updated COVID-19 vaccine in Nevada, Massachusetts, and New Mexico, citing a state law limiting what vaccines pharmacists can administer.
  • The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has not yet weighed in on the newest COVID vaccine formulation, which is updated every year like the flu shot.
  • Nevada's Public Employees Benefits Program announced that a vaccine clinic scheduled for Friday would not have the COVID vaccine available.
  • The Southern Nevada Health District and Northern Nevada Public Health have reported outbreaks of Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, which is preventable via widely available vaccinations.
  • The ACIP is scheduled to meet again on September 18 and 19 to discuss the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The Nevada State Legislature is not scheduled to meet until 2027, but conversations about a special session are happening behind the scenes.
  • California, Oregon, and Washington have announced a public health alliance to coordinate their vaccine recommendations, which includes issuing an order allowing pharmacy workers to vaccinate and removing barriers to access.

Statistics:

  • 18 confirmed or probable cases of Pertussis have been reported in Washoe County as of late August.
  • The updated COVID vaccine is not expected to be available in Nevada until the end of September or early October.
  • The ACIP has not yet weighed in on the newest COVID vaccine formulation.
  • CVS will not offer the updated COVID-19 vaccine in Nevada, Massachusetts, and New Mexico, affecting over 71,000 public employees and their families who rely on the company for vaccine access.

Sources:

  • [https://nevadacurrent.com/2025/09/03/at-cdc-worries-mount-that-agency-has-taken-anti-science-turn/]
  • [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/well/cvs-pharmacy-covid-vaccine-16-states.html]
  • [https://www.ktnv.com/news/why-isnt-the-new-covid-19-vaccine-available-in-nevada-heres-what-we-found-out]
  • [https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/wa-forms-vaccine-alliance-with-other-states-but-some-questions-remain/]
  • [https://nevadacurrent.com/2025/09/04/lombardo-continues-to-promise-transparency-on-cyber-attack-eventually/]