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2h ago

CDC Vaccine Advisers Shift COVID Guidance to Shared Decisions, Reject Prescription Rule

The CDC director now reviews changes from a panel overhauled by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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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Overview

  • ACIP voted to replace a universal COVID-19 recommendation with shared clinical decision-making for everyone 6 months and older.
  • HHS said the change preserves coverage across Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and federal marketplace plans, as most private insurers also plan to cover shots.
  • A proposal to require prescriptions for COVID vaccines failed on a 6–6 tie broken by Chair Martin Kulldorff, keeping pharmacy access without scripts.
  • The panel supported separate MMR and varicella shots for children under 4 due to a slightly higher risk of febrile seizures with the combined MMRV vaccine.
  • Members tabled a vote on changing the newborn hepatitis B birth dose but endorsed universal hepatitis B testing during pregnancy, and they urged updated patient materials on risks and uncertainties.