CDC Panel Recommends COVID Vaccines for Ages 6 Months and Up Amid Concerns Doctors Afraid to Recommend Shots

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Thursday also recommended everyone 6 months and…

Children's Health Defense

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday voted to again recommend the COVID-19 vaccines in 2024 for all people ages 6 months and older — despite concerns about recent safety signals, drastically reduced efficacy among a population with high immunity levels and rising costs.

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also recommended everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot.

The CDC affirmed the recommendations, which will take effect as soon as the new vaccines from Moderna, Novavax and Pfizer become available, the agency said.

“Our top recommendation for protecting yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illness is to get vaccinated,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in a statement. “Make a plan now for you and your family to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines this fall, ahead of the respiratory virus season.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked vaccine manufacturers earlier this month to update the new COVID-19 shots to target the KP.2 variant if feasible, instead of the JN.1 lineage — which now reportedly accounts for only 4.4% of cases — the agency it had sought to target earlier, Reuters reported.

ACIP recommended the COVID-19 vaccines for most Americans, while also conceding the vaccines offer only a small boost in immunity that lasts for just a couple of months, given that most people have acquired immunity from infection or multiple vaccine doses…