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13h ago

ACIP Shifts COVID Vaccine Guidance to Shared Decision-Making, Preserves Coverage

The reconstituted panel replaced a blanket COVID recommendation with shared decision-making to preserve access.

CHAMBLEE, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 18: A slide showing the changes proposed by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the MMR combination vaccine schedule and dosage intervals is seen during a meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on September 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. The federal vaccine advisory group, recently appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is to make recommendations on who should get COVID shots and whether all babies should get vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - DECEMBER 29: Syringes used for booster vaccinations are seen in a vaccination center located in concert hall Ahoy on December 29, 2021 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Following the week-long Christmas lockdown in the Netherlands, an 11 per cent decline in infections was observed whilst the Omicron variant is now the dominant strain of the Covid-19 virus. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
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A Pediatrician's Perspective on ACIP’s Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

Overview

  • Advisers voted unanimously to recommend shared clinical decision-making for COVID vaccination for everyone 6 months and older, and HHS said the move maintains coverage across public and private insurers.
  • A proposal to require prescriptions for COVID shots failed after a 6–6 split was broken by Chair Martin Kulldorff voting no.
  • Members asked CDC to add stronger language on risks and uncertainties to vaccine information statements and to emphasize individualized risk–benefit discussions.
  • Child guidance changes included favoring separate MMR and varicella shots for children under 4; a vote on delaying the newborn hepatitis B dose was tabled, and universal hepatitis B testing in pregnancy won unanimous support.
  • The recommendation is broader than the FDA’s narrower authorizations for older and high‑risk groups; most private insurers plan to keep covering shots through 2026, some states are issuing their own access guidance, and the votes await sign‑off by acting CDC director Jim O’Neill.