CDC panel abandons COVID vaccine recommendation, saying it's a personal choice
SONY SALZMAN, WILL MCDUFFIE and DR. JADE COBERN
Fri, September 19, 2025 at 2:51 PM CDT
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee on Friday voted to abandon its recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine, with the committee unanimously voting to recommend that Americans get the shot "based on individual-based decision-making," meaning it's a personal choice.
It's unclear what implications the vote will have for insurance coverage for Americans who want to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Many major insurers have said they would continue to cover the cost of the vaccines through at least 2026 no matter how the committee voted this week.
In a separate vote, members decided not to require a prescription for the COVID-19 vaccine, with many members saying this would create unnecessary barriers.
Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images - PHOTO: Members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are seen during a meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on September 18, 2025 in Chamblee, Georgia.
And in another separate vote, members voted that CDC communicate clear risks about COVID-19 vaccines -- materials that states can choose to give to patients when they get vaccinated.
The votes follow the Food and Drug Administration's recent narrowing of COVID-19 vaccine approvals to a smaller group of Americans -- those over 65 or with underlying medical conditions. The FDA and CDC are sister agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services.
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