COVID vaccinations could remain available to nearly all patients in Connecticut, under a series of directives that Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration issued on Wednesday.

“As uncertainty in Washington continues, our administration is doing everything we can to ensure the residents of Connecticut have access to the health care they need to stay safe,” Lamont said in a statement. “Making vaccines accessible is grounded in health and safety, which is too important to leave to the whims of a political agenda.”

The Department of Consumer Protection is directing pharmacies to follow the current Centers for Disease Control instructions – even if the CDC changes them. And state-regulated insurance carriers have also been directed to keep covering COVID vaccinations -- although most employer-sponsored plans are not regulated by the state.

“Here in Connecticut, pharmacists played a critical role in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, and that will continue this fall as patients seek protection against the most current strains of the virus,” DCP Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli said in a statement. “While federal vaccine schedules are in flux, we have issued interim guidance to provide clarity and consistency for our pharmacists administering COVID-19 vaccines.”

Lamont did not go as far as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who declared a state of emergency to order pharmacies to make COVID vaccinations available. He told reporters that an emergency declaration is the "absolute last resort."

The Connecticut Department of Public Health also issued interim guidelines recommending the COVID vaccine for everyone older than 6 months old.