The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) accepted an advisory panel’s recommendation Monday that people can get vaccinated for COVID-19 after consulting with a health provider.
Last month’s recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) added another hurdle to the process for people who want to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine, though it will also likely preserve insurance coverage for the shots.
Most private insurers are required to cover the shots ACIP recommends, and many state policies on vaccines are tied to the committee’s guidelines.
Once the panel’s recommendations are approved, they immediately become the policy for Medicare and Medicaid patients, as well as for anyone who uses the Vaccines for Children Program.
The panel unanimously recommended people speak with their doctor about getting the COVID-19 shot, regardless of age or health conditions. The ACIP didn’t recommend vaccination, but it didn’t recommend against it either.
It marked a shift from the current universal recommendation that made shots widely available to anyone who wanted them.
In August, the Food and Drug Administration narrowed marketing authorization for COVID-19 vaccines only to people with specific risk factors and individuals age 65 and older.
“Informed consent is back,” acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill said in a statement. “CDC’s 2022 blanket recommendation for perpetual COVID-19 boosters deterred health care providers from talking about the risks and benefits of vaccination for the individual patient or parent. That changes today.”
A person doesn’t necessarily need to make an appointment with a physician to get a vaccine, though some states still require prescriptions. According to the CDC, anyone who provides or administers vaccines is allowed to discuss the risks and benefits with patients.
Separately, the CDC also adopted the panel’s recommendation that toddlers receive the chickenpox vaccine separate from the measles, mumps and rubella shot, rather than as a combined vaccination.
The combined shot is given to about 15 percent of children nationwide. It carries a slightly elevated risk of febrile seizures. But the CDC said the seizures are not common and have not been associated with any long-term problems.
