United States: The US Centers and Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials evaluate whether to advocate COVID-19 booster immunizations for those above 65 years of age and people with weakened immune systems but not for all groups from 6 months and up.
This adjustment would make United States health recommendations match those already implemented by other nations.
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The US stands as the only country that advises annual COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy young adults as well as children, in contrast to Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has no regular policy recommending yearly COVID-19 vaccinations to fit and healthy people aged under 65 years or children, as CNN Health reported.
US May Drop Universal COVID Shot Advice
A group of independent experts known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the CDC evaluated whether the United States should abandon current guidance for annual COVID-19 vaccine administration to the public and establish risk-based vaccination policies instead.
Listen to this from the CDC
— DrRay (@DrNoMask) April 15, 2025
"Current recommendations for 2024-2025 covid 19 vaccines"
"Policy options for 2025-2026 covid 19 vaccine recommendations"
Stop the Shots!
full presentation below https://t.co/je2I4h7325 pic.twitter.com/M0YyJ8dua9
According to members of the COVID-19 vaccine work group, their analysis regarding policy modifications started in November.
Universal to Risk-Based Vaccination Strategy
According to a risk-based proposal from the CDC, two annual vaccine doses will be advised to all individuals above 65 years old, together with people who have weakened immune systems.
The committee should recommend yearly vaccinations to adults alongside children who face elevated COVID-19 disease exposure due to their heightened vulnerability rates.
The policy groups would include healthcare staff and daycare children who face elevated risks from COVID-19.
Numerous committee participants advocated for language in the recommendation to confirm people could obtain COVID-19 vaccine shots independently of their major risk group classification.
Some full committee members opposed a risk-based recommendation since its public messaging would be complex and its operational execution would be intricate compared to the universal recommendation.
According to committee member Dr. Denise Jamieson, dean of the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, “I guess I’m surprised that we’re considering a risk-based recommendation, which, in general, we have not had a lot of success with implementing in the US,” CNN health reported.