CDC COVID Vaccine Recommendation Changes

Last week, Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced changes to the recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines for healthy pregnant people and healthy children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted updated versions of the immunization schedules.

Here is a summary of the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation changes on the CDC immunization schedules:

• The Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule now reflects shared clinical decision making for all children and adolescents aged 6 months to 17 years, including those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
  
  
  • Vaccines For Children (VFC)-eligible children can be vaccinated after a shared clinical decision with their healthcare provider.
    
    
  • More information about the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) shared clinical decision-making recommendations, guidance, and implementation considerations can be found online here.
    
    
  • The notes section has been updated accordingly. We encourage you to review the notes carefully.
    
    
• No changes were made to the recommendations for persons who are aged 18 years and older and not pregnant.
  
  
• For the Child and Adolescent schedule and the Adult schedule, pregnancy is now shaded gray to reflect no guidance/recommendation.

The COVID-19 virus continues to pose serious health risks in Washington state, including hospitalizations, long COVID, and preventable deaths. These risks are most prominent in pregnant people, young children, older adults, people with chronic conditions, and those who remain unvaccinated. Providers should continue to offer and administer COVID-19 vaccines to all patients 6 months of age and older who are eligible to receive them. Please feel free to reach out to the Childhood Vaccine Program (WAChildhoodVaccines@doh.wa.gov) or the Adult Vaccine Program (WAAdultVaccines@doh.wa.gov) if you have questions.

Office of Immunization
Washington State Department of Health