TRENTON −The New Jersey Health Department on Sept. 9 signed orders to make the COVID-19 vaccines widely available to New Jerseyans without a prescription, pushing back against the Trump administration's recent move to restrict them.

The announcement removed uncertainty about whether residents would have access to the vaccines as the respiratory illness season looms. But it remains unclear if their health insurers will cover the cost, expected to be more than $200.

"I am committed to ensuring everyone in New Jersey who wants to receive a COVID-19 vaccination can receive a dose this fall from trusted health professionals,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.

The Murphy administration's decision means New Jersey will join Northeast states, including New York and Pennsylvania, in what h

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