CDC Endorses Covid Vaccine Changes and Makes MMRV Recommendations

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the recommendations that came out of last month’s meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which included changes to Covid-19 vaccine guidance and the elimination of a combination Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella (MMRV) vaccine. The adoption of ACIP’s recommendations makes them the agency’s official recommendations. This means that, with respect to the Covid-19 vaccine, CDC now recommends that adults 65 years and older or between 6 months and 64 years with an underlying health condition use “shared clinical decision making” when deciding whether to get the Covid-19 vaccine. With respect to the MMRV vaccine, CDC now recommends that children receive two separate vaccines—one for measles, mumps, and rubella and one for varicella—instead of one combination dose. ACIP is scheduled to meet again later this month.