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ACIP Recommends COVID-19 Immunization Based on Individual Decision-making

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) today unanimously recommended that vaccination for COVID-19 be determined by individual decision-making. ACIP’s recommendation applies to all individuals six months and older. It includes an emphasis that the risk-benefit of vaccination in individuals under age 65 is most favorable for those who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 and lowest for individuals who are not at an increased risk, according to the CDC list of COVID-19 risk factors. Individual decision-making is referred to on the CDC’s adult and child immunization schedules as vaccination based on shared clinical decision-making, which references providers including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. It allows for immunization coverage through all payment mechanisms including entitlement programs such as the Vaccines for Children Program, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicaid, and Medicare, as well as insurance plans through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace.