(Reuters) -Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said Thursday the state had ordered insurers to cover vaccines backed by its health department, even if the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issue narrower recommendations.

Insurers would no longer rely solely on CDC recommendations, Healey said, making Massachusetts the first U.S. state to guarantee insurance coverage for state-backed vaccines.

Insurers usually follow recommendations from the expert panel at the CDC that advises on who should take FDA-approved vaccines. The panel is next expected to meet on September 18 to discuss the agency’s COVID shot recommendations.

The state’s move comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine campaigner, has moved quickly to reshape U.S. health policy.

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