CDC Advisers Vote that Patients Must See a Health Care Provider for Covid-19 Vaccination

Articles | September 19, 2025 | by Catholics for Catholics

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The advisory panel voted towards an ‘individual decision-making’ approach for COVID vaccine guidance

By Catholics for Catholics

The Center for Control Disease vaccine advisors voted on Friday to steer away from a general recommendation for Covid-19 vaccines; instead, people who want one must see a health care provider.

Nevertheless, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was divided on whether to recommend that a prescription for a Covid-19 vaccine should be mandatory, according to Fox News. That vote was 6-6; Dr. Martin Kulldorff, the chair of the committee, voted no, which broke the tie.

The advisory panel voted to change the COVID vaccine guidance toward “individual decision-making,” a policy the CDC calls “shared clinical decision-making.” 

The method involves pharmacists, nurses and physicians and keeps shots covered under major payment programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP and private insurance, reported Fox News. The proposal promotes patients to talk with their doctors about whether to get an updated shot instead of recommending it for everyone six months and older.

The CDC said the risk-benefit of vaccination in people below 65 is most advantageous for those at increased risk for acute COVID-19 and lowest for those who are not at increased risk, based on its list of COVID-19 risk factors.

ACIP, the CDC’s vaccine-recommendation committee, voted against recommending that a prescription be a requirement for COVID-19 vaccination. It also voted against recommending the vaccine for all adults, instead leaving it up to individuals. CBS News' Dr. @CelineGounder explains… pic.twitter.com/l7iNkWRocY

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) September 19, 2025

In addition, the members also supported language advising providers to talk about COVID vaccinations in light of a patient’s past infections, immunosuppression and other conditions.

“We really encourage the CDC … to find the right language to communicate these risks and uncertainties to patients and medical providers so we can actually have the appropriate informed consent and discussion of risk and benefits that are realistic to the current knowledge and the current gaps in knowledge that we currently face,” said Dr. Retsef Levi of MIT Sloan. 

Nevertheless, the most provocative proposal, to force a prescription for the COVID shot, failed after a 6–6 split vote, with ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorff breaking the tie by voting no.

“I’m strongly opposed to a requirement for the prescription,” said Dr. Cody Meissner of Dartmouth. “Requiring a prescription is going to become a big barrier to administration of this vaccine. If a person wants it for himself or herself or her children, they should be able to get it without a prescription.”