CDC’s New COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations

Introduction to the Changes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has adopted new recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, marking a significant shift in its approach to combating the pandemic. This change comes after the CDC’s new group of vaccine advisers, selected by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., suggested that the decision to get a COVID-19 shot should be left up to individual patients.

Background on Previous Recommendations

Before this year, the CDC, following the advice of infectious disease experts, recommended annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans aged 6 months and older. The rationale behind this recommendation was to continuously update protection against the evolving coronavirus. However, as the pandemic has waned, there has been growing discussion among experts about focusing vaccination efforts on those most at risk, such as individuals 65 and older, who are more susceptible to severe illness and hospitalization.

The Shift in Recommendations

In a move that has garnered significant attention, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has previously expressed concerns about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, announced in May that these vaccines were no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. Furthermore, he replaced the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with a new group of advisers. This new panel voted to recommend that all Americans should make their own decisions regarding COVID-19 vaccination, rather than following a blanket recommendation.

Implications of the New Recommendations

The CDC has endorsed the view that while individuals should make their own decisions, those considering vaccination, especially seniors, should consult with a healthcare provider. This approach emphasizes personalized advice over a one-size-fits-all recommendation. The announcement was made after Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill, acting as the CDC’s director, signed off on the recommendations. O’Neill welcomed the change, suggesting that previous guidance may have discouraged healthcare providers from discussing the full range of risks and benefits associated with vaccination.

Medical Societies’ Response

Major medical societies have expressed a different view, continuing to recommend COVID-19 shots for younger children, pregnant women, and others at a higher risk of severe illness. They argue that the emphasis on vaccine risks overlooks the proven safety record of these vaccines, as evidenced by the billions of doses administered worldwide, and does not adequately consider the dangers posed by coronavirus infection itself.

Additional Recommendations

In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine guidance, the panel also recommended that children under 4 receive their first varicella (chickenpox) vaccine dose as a standalone shot, rather than as part of a combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. This is due to a higher risk of fevers and fever-related seizures associated with the combined shot. Since 2009, the CDC has preferred separate shots for initial doses of these vaccines, a practice already followed by 85% of toddlers receiving the chickenpox vaccine separately.

Conclusion

The CDC’s decision to stop recommending COVID-19 shots for all and to leave the decision up to individual patients marks a significant departure from its previous stance. While this shift is intended to promote more personalized healthcare decisions, it also reflects the ongoing debate and controversy surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. As the pandemic landscape continues to evolve, healthcare guidance is likely to change, underscoring the importance of staying informed and consulting with healthcare professionals.

FAQs

• Q: What are the new CDC recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccines?
  • A: The CDC now recommends that individuals make their own decisions about getting a COVID-19 shot, rather than following a universal recommendation for all.
• Q: Who is most at risk from COVID-19 and should consider vaccination?
  • A: Individuals 65 and older, as well as those with underlying health conditions, are at a higher risk of severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19.
• Q: What about children and pregnant women? Should they get vaccinated?
  • A: Major medical societies continue to recommend COVID-19 shots for these groups due to their higher risk of severe illness, despite the CDC’s more generalized approach.
• Q: How does this change affect the vaccination schedule for other diseases, like chickenpox?
  • A: The CDC now recommends that children under 4 receive their first chickenpox vaccine dose as a standalone shot, rather than in a combined MMRV vaccine, due to concerns about fevers and seizures.
• Q: Where can individuals get the most current and personalized advice on COVID-19 vaccination?
  • A: Consulting with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist is recommended to get advice tailored to one’s specific health situation and risk factors.
    

    By MIKE STOBBE, Associated Press

    NEW YORK (AP) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adopted recommendations by a new group of vaccine advisers, and stopped recommending COVID-19 shots for anyone — leaving the choice up to patients.

    The government health agency on Monday announced it had adopted recommendations made last month by advisers picked by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

    Before this year, U.S. health officials — following recommendations by infectious disease experts — recommended annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older. The idea was to update protection against the coronavirus as it continues to evolve.

As the COVID-19 pandemic waned, experts increasingly discussed the possibility of focusing vaccination efforts on people 65 and older — who are among those most at risk for death and hospitalization.

But Kennedy, who has questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, abruptly announced in May that COVID-19 vaccines were no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. He also dismissed the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replaced them with a handpicked group.

The new group voted last month to say all Americans should make their own decisions. But the CDC also says vaccine decisions, especially for seniors, should involve checking with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

The recommendation was endorsed by Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill, who is serving as the CDC’s acting director. O’Neill signed off on it last week, but HHS officials announced it Monday.

The panel also urged the CDC to adopt stronger language around claims of vaccine risks, despite pushback from outside medical groups who said the shots had a proven safety record from the billions of doses administered worldwide.

In a statement Monday, O’Neill celebrated the change, saying past guidance “deterred health care providers from talking about the risks and benefits of vaccination.”

Major medical societies continue to recommend shots for younger children, pregnant women and others at higher risk of severe illness. They say the Trump administration’s discussion of risk overemphasizes rare side effects and doesn’t account for the dangers of coronavirus infection itself.

O’Neill also signed off on a panel recommendation that children under 4 get their first vaccine dose for varicella — also known as chickenpox — as a standalone shot rather than in combination shot with measles, mumps and rubella.

There is a single shot that contains all four, but it carries a higher risk of fevers and fever-related seizures. Since 2009, the CDC had said it prefers separate shots for initial doses of those vaccines and 85% of toddlers already get the chickenpox vaccine separately.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

        <p>Originally Published: October 6, 2025 at 3:06 PM EDT</p>