The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday released updated immunization guidelines, ending its universal recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination and advising that young children receive the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine separately from the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot.
The revisions, approved by Acting CDC Director and Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary, Jim O’Neill, follow recommendations made last month by the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
In a statement, O’Neill said, “Informed consent is back, “The CDC’s 2022 blanket recommendation for ongoing COVID-19 boosters discouraged individualized discussions about risks and benefits. That changes today”, he declared.
Under the new guidance, COVID-19 vaccination is no longer universally advised for all Americans aged six months and older. Instead, the CDC recommends that individuals consult their healthcare providers to make personalized decisions about whether to receive updated shots.
The ACIP’s decision reflects what it described as a “shift toward individual-based decision-making,” acknowledging differences in risk based on age, prior infection, health status, and exposure.
Separately, the CDC also recommended that toddlers receive the MMR and varicella vaccines as separate doses, rather than in a single combined shot, citing data suggesting a slightly higher risk of fever-related seizures in some children after the combined MMRV dose.
The updated immunization schedule is expected to be published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and distributed to healthcare providers nationwide later this month.
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