The CDC signed off a new vaccine recommendation which recommends patients to go through a shared-decision making process with a healthcare professional prior to receiving a covid-19 vaccine. According to a report from Reuters, the recommendation will not alter the vaccine’s availability through insurance. The recommendation comes from a new panel of vaccine advisers chosen by US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.²

"Informed consent is back. 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," said CDC Director Jim O’Niell.

How did the CDC land on its recommendation of shared-decision making?

Back in September this year, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously on its recommendation for people seeking a Covid-19 vaccine, suggesting patients should consult with a health care provider prior to being administered with the Covid-19 vaccine. CDC director Jim O’Neill signed off on the recommendation, along with the advisers' recommendations against use of the combined measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine before the age of 4 years.¹ The new recommendation will allow anyone aged six months or older to receive a Covid-19 vaccine after shared clinical decision making with a qualified health care provider. According to a report from CNN, experts are anticipating the new recommendation to create access barriers for patients and could make the vaccine overall more challenging to receive.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who recently resigned as head of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, touched on the new recommendation, saying that the recommendation “assumes health care and insurance.” Daskalakis continued to say, “We do not have universal health care in this country, and we know millions of people are losing insurance.”

Will Covid-19 Vaccines require a prescription?

Back in September, in the same meeting the panel of vaccine advisors agreed on the new Covid-19 vaccine recommendations, ACIP was split on its recommendation to require a prescription for Covid-19 vaccines. The vote ended in even split 6:6, with the committee’s chair, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, being the tie-breaking “no” vote.

What else did CDC director Jim O’Neill sign off on?

The vaccine advisory panel additionally voted to change its recommendation for children aged 12 months and older, to receive the first dose of the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. Instead, ACIP is now recommending that children receive two separate shots, one for the combined MMR shot and a second shot for chickenpox. The MMRV shot will be recommended as an option for a child's second dose, typically given at around four to six years old.

Sources

1. US CDC backs advisers' recommendation to pull broad support for COVID shot Reuters October 6, 2025 https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-cdc-pulls-broad-support-covid-shot-2025-10-06/
2. CDC recommends patients consult a health care provider for Covid-19 vaccination CNN October 6, 2025 https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/health/cdc-covid-vaccine-recommendation
3. CDC Immunization Schedule Adopts Individual-Based Decision-Making for COVID-19 and Standalone Vaccination for Chickenpox in Toddlers CDC Newsroom October 6, 2025 https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2025/cdc-immunization-schedule-adopts-individual-based-decision.html