The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that it has officially updated its immunization schedules to implement “individual-based decision-making” for COVID-19 vaccination and recommend standalone chickenpox vaccination for toddlers.

The CDC will no longer make blanket recommendations for COVID-19 boosters, instead requiring Americans to consult with healthcare providers to determine whether vaccination is appropriate for their individual circumstances. This change affects both children and adults under 65, moving away from the agency’s 2022 policy of routine COVID-19 booster recommendations.

The policy shift means that COVID-19 vaccination decisions will now be based on “shared clinical decision-making” between patients and healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. However, vaccines will continue to be covered by both private and public insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs.

These recommendations originated from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), whose entire 17-member panel was dismissed and replaced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in June 2025. Kennedy appointed new members who include vaccine skeptics and individuals with histories of opposing vaccine recommendations.

The reconstituted committee voted in September to eliminate universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, with only 23% of adults having followed the CDC’s most recent seasonal booster recommendation according to national surveys. 

The CDC also adopted ACIP’s (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recommendation that children through age 3 receive standalone varicella (chickenpox) vaccination rather than the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. This change addresses safety concerns about increased febrile seizure risk in young children.

Evidence presented to ACIP by the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office showed that healthy toddlers aged 12-23 months have approximately double the risk of febrile seizures 7-10 days after receiving the combined MMRV vaccine compared to those receiving separate MMR and chickenpox shots. While the overall risk remains low—about 8 out of every 10,000 children vaccinated with MMRV versus 4 out of every 10,000 with separate vaccines—the combination vaccine offers no additional protection against chickenpox.

Studies indicate this increased seizure risk does not apply to children receiving the MMRV vaccine at ages 4-6 years, when the second dose is typically administered.

Major medical organizations have maintained their own vaccine recommendations that differ from the new CDC guidance. The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to “strongly recommend” COVID-19 shots for children ages 6 months to 2 years old, while the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends COVID-19 vaccination for everyone ages 6 months and older.

The updated immunization schedules were set to be published on the CDC website by October 7, 2025. Under the new guidance, some states and localities may require proof of discussion with a healthcare provider or even prescriptions before administering COVID-19 vaccines.