(NewsNation) — A vaccine advisory panel voted on Friday not to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for anyone, a change from previous recommendations that all Americans get yearly vaccinations against the virus.
The panel said it would leave the choice up to those who want to get a vaccine and encouraged people to speak to their doctors about whether they should be vaccinated.
That language adds more confusion for patients and medical providers after other conflicting recommendations.
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Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration restricted Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax vaccines for COVID to those over the age of 65 and people under 65 who have certain health conditions that make them more vulnerable.
Additionally, providers will be required to read people a statement about the potential harms of the vaccine. The panel narrowly voted against requiring a prescription to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
While the government has pulled back on recommending the shot, multiple medical groups have come out against the changes and continue to recommend everyone get vaccinated against COVID. Several states have also made moves to ensure access to the shot regardless of federal recommendations.
The group, responsible for advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has come under scrutiny after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all of the previous members of the panel and appointed new ones, many of whom are vaccine skeptics.
CDC data showed 32,000 to 51,000 U.S. deaths and more than 250,000 hospitalizations last fall and winter due to COVID. While the vaccine isn’t 100% effective, it remains the best way to prevent severe illness and death.
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Repeated COVID infections also increase the chances of someone getting long COVID, which can come with disabling symptoms and last for years. Other long-term effects of COVID, including damage to the heart, are still being discovered as scientists learn more about the virus.
While the new recommendation does not ban the shot, access could become more difficult for people who want to protect themselves from getting and spreading the virus.
Although the advisory panel has issued its recommendation, it will not be final until it is signed off on by the CDC director.
Depending on state laws, people may face additional hurdles when it comes to getting the shot. CDC recommendations often determine whether or not health systems or individual physicians will offer a vaccine and whether it will be fully covered by insurance.
The new recommendation, if signed, could also lead pharmacies and health systems to stock less of the vaccine, which could in turn raise prices.
