CDC recommends patients consult a health care provider for Covid-19 vaccination

"The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on a recommendation that patients must consult a health care provider to get a Covid-19 vaccine, although they don't necessarily need a prescription. The recommendations shifted away from a broader push most people to get a Covid-19 vaccine and was made by a new panel of vaccine advisers chosen by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr."

"CDC's OK makes the recommendations final and US vaccine schedules will be updated, HHS said on Tuesday. The new recommendations mean that people ages 6 months and older can get Covid-19 vaccines after shared clinical decision making with a qualified health care provider, a recommendation that keeps the shots available to people, but also creates barriers to access. The signoff is coming later than usual for the fall respiratory virus season."

"With the recommendation, the government can finally distribute Covid-19 vaccines through its Vaccines for Children program which provides free inoculations to about half of US children. The CDC's independent vaccine advisers, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, voted unanimously last month that people who want a Covid-19 vaccine should consult with a health care provider, a process called shared clinical decision-making. However, they narrowly voted down a recommendation that a prescription should be required to get the shot."

The CDC signed off on a recommendation that patients must consult a health care provider to obtain a Covid-19 vaccine, though a prescription is not required. The recommendation came from a new panel of vaccine advisers chosen by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The approval makes the recommendations final and will update US vaccine schedules. People ages six months and older can receive Covid-19 vaccines after shared clinical decision-making with a qualified provider, preserving availability while introducing access barriers. The signoff arrived later than usual for the fall respiratory virus season. The government can now distribute vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program.

Read at www.mercurynews.com