Some good news for D.C. residents on the COVID vaccine front (boldface mine):

D.C. adults and most children should have an easier time accessing the coronavirus vaccine at pharmacies, after the D.C. Council on Wednesday voted to ease restrictions around the shots as the region braces for respiratory illness season.

The bill allows pharmacists to administer the vaccine without a prescription to anyone 3 and older, based on guidance from medical societies designated by Ayanna Bennett, director of the city’s health department. The measure passed unanimously with council member Trayon White Sr. (D-Ward 8) voting as present.

The bill, which is effective for 90 days, decouples D.C. vaccine access from recommendations made by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel, which on Friday is expected to scrutinize vaccines given in pregnancy and childhood.

Instead, Bennett said the District will look to guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to help make decisions on coronavirus vaccines as well as other immunizations.

“They align with the scientific evidence as we know it and have expressed willingness to continue to monitor and align with whatever science is available,” Bennett said in an interview Thursday.

The reason the bill is effective for only ninety days is that it was passed as “emergency legislation.” This is a faster process for moving legislation, and the legislation is currently not subject to Congressional review.

Note the word currently. As I noted a couple of weeks ago, Congressional Republicans (BOO! HISS!) are attempting to make emergency legislation subject to congressional review, as is the case for other legislation passed by the colonial government. This would slow down approval of this legislation, but, in the case of vaccination, there is a nontrivial chance, given anti-vaccination Republican senators like Rand Paul, that D.C. wouldn’t be able to do this.

This is yet another reason why D.C. needs statehood.