CDC Vaccine Panel Faces Uncertainty on COVID-19 Vaccine Access

Mon Oct 20 2025 09:00:07 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meets to discuss updated COVID-19 vaccines, igniting public confusion over eligibility and access as infections rise.

As COVID-19 infections increase, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., grapples with how to recommend updated vaccines amid public concern and confusion. The FDA has restricted access to the latest vaccines primarily for older adults and high-risk individuals. The meeting seeks to clarify who qualifies for these vaccines, which could impact insurance coverage and pharmacy administration. Amid this, there are rising frustrations among the public and prioritization recommendations from major healthcare groups to increase access for everyone aged six months and older.

ATLANTA (AP) — Access to COVID-19 shots remains a critical concern as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine advisers gather again on Friday, following a postponed vote on newborn vaccinations that raised significant debate.

As COVID-19 infections have spiked, many states report public frustration in trying to determine or prove qualifications for the updated vaccines. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed new restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, limiting them to individuals over 65 and those deemed high-risk. The CDC's committee needs to provide recommendations that will dictate who can access these vaccines, affecting insurance coverage and pharmacist administrations in varying states.

The uncertainty surrounding these recommendations leads to unease, especially since Kennedy’s panel has received criticism for potentially increasing restrictions on vaccinations. “We’re anxiously awaiting what’s next,” said Dr. Phil Huang, director of the Dallas County health department. The decisions greatly impact low-income families utilizing federally funded health programs and are causing widespread public confusion.

The committee reopened discussions with an ongoing uncertainty related to a longstanding CDC recommendation advocating for hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns. They are considering delaying this initial vaccination; however, given significant pushback from pediatric and infectious disease specialists asserting the vaccine's safety and effectiveness in reducing infant infections, the panel opted to postpone the decision.

During the previous deliberations, the committee called for stricter guidelines on the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and chickenpox vaccines, recommending that for children under four, the initial doses should be administered separately rather than as a combined MMRV shot—a shift preferred by 85% of toddlers. The CDC is also expected to align with the narrower MMRV guidelines in its Vaccines for Children program, which assists with costs for approximately half of U.S. children.

Concurrent to these discussions is the ongoing public health threat from COVID-19. Recent CDC statistics reveal that the virus caused between 32,000 to 51,000 deaths and over 250,000 hospitalizations last fall and winter. Vulnerable populations, particularly unvaccinated seniors and young children, remain at the greatest risk. To enhance vaccine accessibility, major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend that the updated vaccines be available to all individuals aged six months and older, including pregnant women, as has been customary in prior years.

In response to potential access issues, several states have announced policies to secure vaccine availability regardless of the outcomes from Friday's ACIP meeting. Furthermore, America’s Health Insurance Plans, a group representing a majority of health insurers, confirmed that its members would cover the vaccines through 2026.