|
This article requires pre-publication review by an uninvolved reviewer (one not substantially involved in writing the article). [1] Article last amended: Sep 19 at 21:25:41 UTC (history) |
| This article requires pre-publication review by an uninvolved reviewer (one not substantially involved in writing the article).
[2] Article last amended: Sep 19 at 21:25:41 UTC (history) |
Friday, September 19, 2025
The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel has withdrawn its previous universal recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine, instead emphasizing that vaccination should be a matter of individual choice. The committee unanimously endorsed shifting to an “individual-based decision-making” approach rather than a blanket endorsement.
How this change will affect insurance coverage is still unclear. However, several major insurers have stated they expect to keep covering COVID-19 vaccines through at least 2026, regardless of the new guidance.
In a separate decision, the panel voted against requiring prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines, saying such a step would create unnecessary barriers to access.
The committee also narrowed its recommendations for the combined MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox.
Additionally, a scheduled vote on whether to end the hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for newborns was put on indefinite hold.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), recently reshaped under the leadership of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted unanimously to withdraw its broad recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination for all Americans over six months of age. Instead, the panel advised that COVID-19 vaccination should be a matter of shared clinical decision-making between patients and healthcare providers. This marks a significant shift from previous years when the panel consistently recommended the vaccine for nearly everyone in that age group.
The panel’s decision means that COVID-19 shots will no longer be universally recommended for all U.S. adults, pending approval by the CDC director. They stopped short of requiring prescriptions for the vaccine, with a tied vote that was broken against imposing such a requirement. The advisory group expressed concerns about the risks and uncertainties of vaccination, particularly regarding mRNA vaccines and rare side effects like myocarditis in younger males.
This shift has sparked warnings from medical organizations that limiting vaccine access or making recommendations more vague could lower vaccination rates and increase disease spread. Current CDC data supports COVID vaccines as the best protection against severe illness and death. Critics of the new policy see it as driven by vaccine skepticism and a decline in scientific rigor under Kennedy’s tenure. The decision is advisory and has not yet been formally adopted by the CDC, which has to review and approve it.
