A nurse fills a syringe with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
The 70-page presentation outlines three possible policy options for COVID-19 vaccines, including a shift away from recommending annual shots for everyone over 6 months old.
Currently, annual COVID-19 shots are recommended for ages 6 months and older. One proposed policy option would continue the current universal policy, while another would recommend vaccines only for people at higher risk of severe illness, such as older adults, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and healthcare workers.
A third option would blend the two, keeping universal recommendations for people 65 and older but limiting shots for younger groups to those at higher risk.
"When initially presented with 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine policy options in November 2024, the Work Group appreciated pros and cons of both risk-based and universal vaccine recommendations," Panagiotakopoulos wrote. "At that time, there was not yet a consensus on what the recommendation for the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine should be. The Work Group requested additional information to help inform the decision-making process on risk-factors for severe COVID-19, transmission and immunity, vaccine implementation and access, and cost-effectiveness."
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In this photo illustration, a syringe and an illustrative vial with the COVID-19 vaccine are seen in front of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logo. ( Pavlo Conchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
According to the CDC, the vaccine committee's agenda will also include a session about the measles outbreak and an update "on literature related to reduced number of doses for HPV vaccine."
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Members of the committee will vote on Wednesday on recommendations for the Meningococcal Vaccines, Meningococcal Vaccines VFC, RSV Adult and the Chikungunya Vaccines.
The meeting comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is overseeing a major reorganization of the CDC. Plans include transferring non-infectious disease-related divisions to the Administration for a Healthy America to focus on chronic disease management. This move follows significant downsizing under President Donald Trump's directive, which has already reduced the CDC workforce by roughly 4,000 people.
Jamie Joseph is a U.S. Politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering transgender and culture issues, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, and stateside legislative developments.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cdc-eyes-narrower-covid-19-vaccine-guidance-ahead-2025-2026-season