Washington residents 6 months and older can now receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine from pharmacies and medical clinics without a prescription, under a new standing order signed by the state health officer.

The order affirms the state’s position on the importance of the vaccine in reducing severe illness and deaths from the respiratory disease, and pushes back against federal regulators’ decision last week to approve the updated shots for just some people, including those over 65. The vaccines are well-researched, well-tested and have saved millions of lives, state health officer Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett said in a Friday morning statement.

The state Department of Health announced the news two days after Washington teamed with Oregon and California to create a new West Coast Health Allianc

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