Thursday 20 October 2022 11:25 PM CDC panel votes to add Covid shots to recommended immunizations for all ... trends now

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A leading panel of experts recommended the CDC to add COVID-19 vaccines to the standard vaccine schedule for children six months and older. 

Children six months and older as well as all adults should get fully vaccinated and boosted with Covid shots when they become eligible, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said in an unanimous 15-0 vote Thursday.

The committee's vote does not have an immediate effect and it is not binding.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not have to follow its recommendation, though it is unlikely it does not.

The move schedule the vaccines does not constitute a mandate that children must get them, but opponents are arguing that it opens the door for them.

Kentucky Republican Rep Thomas Massie said that the committee's decision 'will precipitate [COVID-19] vax mandates to attend schools and play sports in many states.' 

Meanwhile, Dr Margery Smelkinson, an infectious disease scientist at the National Institutes of Health, said, 'Anyone saying this won't lead to a mandate hasn't been paying attention.'

While it is common for schools to require vaccinations before a child can attend, states choose for themselves whether to make certain shots compulsory. 

The flu and HPV vaccines for example are on the CDC's schedule but not required at all public schools for attendance. 

The committee meets annually to review and update the vaccination schedule, which is meant to help guide clinicians in determining when a child should receive different shots for preventable diseases such as polio and measles.