(LOOTPRESS) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has officially abandoned its long-standing recommendation that all Americans get COVID-19 vaccines, instead adopting a new advisory group’s approach that leaves the choice up to patients.
Previously, U.S. health officials had recommended annual COVID boosters for everyone ages 6 months and older. That policy was based on efforts to update protection as the virus evolves.
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The change follows a shake-up earlier this year.
In May, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated the CDC’s previous vaccine advisory board and replaced it with a new group. Kennedy also removed recommendations for COVID vaccination in healthy children and pregnant women.
The new advisory panel voted to make COVID vaccination a matter of shared decision-making. The CDC now says that especially for older adults, it is wise for individuals to consult a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist before making a decision.
Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill, acting director of the CDC, approved the recommendation. He said past guidance “deterred health care providers from talking about the risks and benefits of vaccination.”
