The Infodemiology Brief —

Debate erupts over CDC advisors’ COVID-19 vaccine votes

This past week, confusion spread online after CDC vaccine advisors voted to shift COVID-19 vaccination from a universal recommendation to a shared decision between patients and providers. The change means updated COVID-19 vaccines remain available and likely covered by insurance for everyone 6 months and older, but only after a discussion with a health care provider or clinician. The vote differed from the FDA’s August guidance, which limited use of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines to older adults and people with underlying health conditions. In the weeks leading up to ACIP’s decision, physicians’ groups released their own evidence-based recommendations and over a dozen states acted to protect COVID-19 vaccine access and affordability. The largest recent spike in vaccine conversations came in early September when Florida announced plans to end all vaccine requirements, including school immunizations, drawing sharp criticism from public health experts and the public alike.

The free Trusted Messenger Program Training Series launched today to give health care providers the tools, tactics, and strategies to improve communication skills. The first one-hour module is available now, offering 1.0 CME credits, and includes four discreet videos you can take at your pace. Learn an evidence-based approach to talking about vaccines, making your recommendations clearer, maximizing your trust, and addressing other timely topics. Start the training now.

Trending narratives from the past month

Internet reacts as “chaotic” ACIP meeting ends universal COVID-19 vaccine guidance
On September 18 and 19, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met to review recommendations for several vaccines. Days before the meeting, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. added five new members to the committee, which he had fully replaced in June. The meeting was marked by confusion and disagreements before members voted to end universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Updated vaccines remain available and covered by insurance for everyone 6 months and older, but only as part of a “shared clinical decision” between health care providers and patients. 

The committee also delayed a vote on hepatitis B vaccination at birth and voted to stop recommending the combination measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox (varicella) vaccine for children under age 4. While some vaccine opponents celebrated the COVID-19 guidance change, others argued it did not go far enough, falsely claiming that the vaccines are dangerous, weaken the immune system, or cause cancer. Posts also sowed doubt about the validity of vaccine safety monitoring. Spanish-language accounts spread the false claim that the CDC had issued a warning against COVID-19 vaccines. Other users questioned the need for hepatitis B vaccination and cited the MMRV vaccine decision as supposed evidence that combination vaccines are unsafe. Public health experts and vaccine advocates criticized the meeting as “chaotic” and “confused,”  urging caution in relying on the new committee’s recommendations. Read the fact checks here and here.  

 Florida vaccine mandate reversal drives largest vaccine conversation jump in months
On September 3, Florida’s governor and surgeon general announced plans to end vaccine requirements in the state. In a press conference, the surgeon general compared school vaccine requirements to slavery. If the move is successful, Florida would be the only state that does not require routine immunizations to enroll in K-12 school. Experts condemned the move as an “unprecedented” reversal of established vaccine policy that will “undermine decades of public health progress.” Online responses to the news were mixed, with critics expressing concern about preventable disease outbreaks and supporters celebrating the move as a victory for the “health freedom” movement. Read the fact checks here and here. 

States and physicians’ groups step in as federal COVID-19 guidance sparks debate
After the FDA’s limited approval of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine in August to older adults and people with underlying conditions, physicians’ groups and state governments moved to fill the gap. Several major medical organizations released their own guidance continuing to recommend vaccination for all people 6 months and older, and more than a dozen states acted to ensure providers could administer the vaccines and insurers would cover them. Online, many welcomed these steps as a way to protect access, but others worried the vaccines might not be available to everyone who wants them or that insurance would not cover them without federal recommendations. Vaccine opponents dismissed the actions altogether, calling the states’ policies “tyranny” and urging rejection of all COVID-19 guidance. In a September 4 Senate hearing, Kennedy added to the confusion by stating that “anyone can get” a 2025-2026 vaccine. Public health experts stressed that, while the vaccines are technically available, younger people without underlying conditions may need a prescription and could be forced to pay out of pocket for routine vaccination. Read the fact checks here and here.

What you might say in response

COVID-19 vaccines remain available for everyone 6 months and older through a shared decision between patients and clinicians. 

  • The CDC recently voted to make COVID-19 vaccines available through “shared clinical decision-making.” That’s a process where you talk with a health care provider (like a doctor or pharmacist) to decide what’s best for you.
  • Major physician organizations continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for all people 6 months and older, including infants and young children, healthy adults, and pregnant people.
  • Research has consistently proven COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and the best way to prevent severe illness, long COVID, and death. 
  • Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist to learn more about getting the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine.  

Schools require routine vaccinations because they keep children safe and in school.

  • Vaccines empower parents to protect their children from deadly and debilitating diseases, allowing kids to stay in school, not sick at home or in the hospital.
  • Vaccination doesn’t just protect the person being vaccinated—it protects everyone around them.
  • Babies and children who are too young to be fully vaccinated, people with weakened immune systems, and a small percentage of people who don’t respond to vaccines are vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.
  • Many routine childhood vaccines have protected children for generations, saving over 1 million lives in the U.S. in the last three decades alone.  

Leading medical organizations still recommend vaccination as the best protection against COVID-19. 

  • COVID-19 vaccines still provide the best protection for people of all ages.
  • The AAFP, AAP, and ACOG continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for all people starting at 6 months old, including pregnant people. 
  • The largest insurance group in the nation, which covers about 200 million Americans, announced it will continue to cover updated COVID-19 vaccines at no cost to patients through the end of next year. 
  • Additionally, at least 14 states have acted to make the vaccine available to those who want it. If you live outside of these states, you may still be able to get vaccinated after discussing it with your doctor. 
  • Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to learn more about getting the vaccine for yourself and your loved ones.

What we’re reading

In March, the Common Health Coalition launched the 2-4-2 Digest, a weekly snapshot that provides four key insights for health leaders and can be read in two minutes or with two swipes on your phone. Sign up for the next weekly edition.

Studies and trainings

The Trusted Messenger Program launched the first module in the TMP Training Series, Maximizing Trust & Reducing Resistance. Worth 1.0 CME credit, this free one-hour module helps you become a stronger and more trusted communicator. 

The Health Care Infodemiology Brief is brought to you by PGP, the health care leadership of the Trusted Messenger Program, and Infodemiology.com’s sponsors and partners.