Sat Sep 20 01:40:00 UTC 2025: ## CDC Vaccine Advisers Recommend Consulting Doctors for COVID-19 Shots, Sparking Access Concerns

**Atlanta, GA** – In a move that could significantly alter the landscape of COVID-19 vaccination in the United States, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted Friday to shift from a blanket recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines to a process requiring consultation with a healthcare provider, known as shared clinical decision-making.

While the committee unanimously agreed on the need for a doctor’s consultation, they were divided on whether a prescription should be mandated, ultimately failing to pass the measure after a tie-breaking vote.

Under the new recommendations, individuals aged 65 and older should discuss vaccination with their doctor. This also applies to those between 6 months and 64 years, with emphasis placed on considering individual risk factors for severe COVID-19.

The recommendations are not yet final and require the sign-off of Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill.

Experts warn that the shift to “shared clinical decision-making” could lead to confusion and reduced vaccine uptake, particularly among vulnerable populations.

“It’s an opt-in instead of opt-out: the doctor should initiate, and not all do,” said Dr. Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at the University of California, San Francisco, specializing in vaccines and vaccine policy. “It usually leads to less uptake, partly because nobody is sure what it requires.”

Concerns were also raised about access to healthcare and insurance. “We do not have universal health care in this country, and we know millions of people are losing insurance,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, former head of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

In a related vote, the committee recommended amending the COVID-19 vaccine information statements to include additional risks and uncertainties, a move legal experts questioned as being outside ACIP’s authority.

Adding to the meeting’s chaotic nature, advisers delayed a vote on newborn hepatitis B vaccines after lengthy debates.

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