On Thursday, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted for adding the Covid-19 vaccine to the CDC’s child and adolescent immunization schedule. The recommended schedule calls for children to begin getting doses of a COVID-19 vaccine when they are 6 months old. The committee voted 15-0 in favor of adding the vaccines to the schedule.
A spokesperson for the CDC told Fox:
“It’s important to note that there are no changes in COVID-19 vaccine policy, and this action would simply help streamline clinical guidance for healthcare providers by including all currently licensed, authorized and routinely recommended vaccines in one document,”
Critics, however, claim that the CDC’s recommendation will result in states making the decision to require the COVID-19 vaccine in addition to others already required. Rep. Thomas Massie from Kentucky argued, “CDC knows this will precipitate mandatory COVID shots for many schools and sports leagues.”
Massie tweeted:
ACIP vote is today on whether to add COVID-19 shots to the childhood immunization schedule. CDC knows this will precipitate mandatory COVID shots for many schools and sports leagues. Dr. Sarah Oliver of CDC soft peddled this in her slide deck for yesterday’s ACIP meeting. pic.twitter.com/TpQaxZSWPW
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 20, 2022