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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Friday voted unanimously to update COVID-19 guidance to reflect “individual-based decision making.”
ACIP stopped short of requiring a prescription for the COVID-19 vaccine.
ACIP recommended that patients talk to their physicians prior to the vaccination. It said, “The discussion should consider known risk factors for severe outcomes from COVID-19, such as age, prior infections, immunosuppression, and certain comorbidities identified by the CDC, and include a discussion of the potential benefits and risks of vaccination and related uncertainties, especially those outlined in the vaccine information statement, as part of informed consent.”
ACIP’s recommendation applies to all individuals six months and older. It said the risk-benefit of vaccination in individuals under age 65 is most favorable for those who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 and lowest for individuals who are not at an increased risk.
Previous guidance under the Biden administration recommended COVID-19 vaccinations. The new guidance recommends vaccines for adults ages 65 and older based on individual decision-making and shared clinical decision-making.
ACIP is the advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After firing ACIP members in June, vaccine skeptic Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hand-picked new committee members. HHS announced seven new ACIP members last week.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The recommendation allows for immunization coverage through all payment mechanisms including programs such as the Vaccines for Children Program, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicaid and Medicare, as well as insurance plans through the federal health insurance marketplace, ACIP said.
Historically, private insurers cover vaccines recommended by the federal government. Without this recommendation people could be paying for vaccines that were previously free.
AHIP, which represents insurers, said last week, “Health plans will continue to cover all ACIP-recommended immunizations that were recommended as of September 1, 2025, including updated formulations of the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, with no cost-sharing for patients through the end of 2026.”
It added, “While health plans continue to operate in an environment shaped by federal and state laws, as well as program and customer requirements, the evidence-based approach to coverage of immunizations will remain consistent.”
THE LARGER TREND
In June, Kennedy fired 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices and accused them of violating conflict-of-interest rules in receiving "substantial funding" from pharmaceutical companies, he wrote in an op-ed that ran in The Wall Street Journal.
Last week, Kennedy announced the appointment of five new members.
“These appointments reflect the commitment of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to transparency, evidence-based science, and diverse expertise in guiding the nation’s immunization policies. In June, Secretary Kennedy reconstituted ACIP to restore public trust in vaccines,” HHS said.
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org