Yesterday, the CDC updated its adult and child immunization schedules to apply the updated COVID-19 and combined MMRV vaccine recommendations that the ACIP adopted at its September 18 and 19 meeting. Specifically, the schedule applies individual-based decision-making to COVID-19 vaccinations and recommends that children under age four receive protection from varicella (chickenpox) as a standalone immunization rather than in combination with the MMR vaccine. 

The Acting Director of the CDC and Deputy Secretary of HHS Jim O'Neill approved the ACIP's recommendations last week. The updated schedules will be reflected on www.cdc.gov today.

"Informed consent is back," said O'Neill. Individual-based decision-making is referred to on the CDC's immunization schedules as vaccination based on shared clinical decision-making, which references providers including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. It means that the clinical decision to vaccinate should be based on patient characteristics that, unlike age, are difficult to incorporate in recommendations, including risk factors for the underlying disease and the characteristics of the vaccine itself and the best available evidence of who may benefit from vaccination.

Like routine recommendations, individual-based decision-making allows for immunization coverage through all payment mechanisms, including Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Vaccines for Children Program, as well as private health plans.

The CDC press release is here.