Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its adult and child immunization schedules, now recommending individual-based decision-making for COVID-19 vaccination. This approach considers patient-specific risk factors and vaccine characteristics. The CDC also recommends toddlers receive the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine as a standalone immunization, rather than combined with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The changes follow recommendations from the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), approved by Acting CDC Director and Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O'Neill. The revised schedules are expected to be updated on CDC.gov by October 7, 2025.
This updated guidance moves away from the previous universal recommendation for routine COVID-19 booster shots. Deputy Secretary O'Neill stated that the individual-based approach allows healthcare providers—including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists—to make shared clinical decisions tailored to each patient's specific needs and risks.
CDC data indicates that while nearly 85% of U.S. adults completed the initial COVID-19 primary vaccination series, only 23% received the most recent seasonal booster. The risk-benefit analysis is most favorable for vaccinating individuals under 65 with increased risk factors for severe COVID-19. For others without increased risk, the benefit is considered lower.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized COVID-19 vaccines for those with one or more risk factors and individuals 65 and older. The CDC describes individual-based decision-making as shared clinical decision-making, which takes into account patient characteristics that are not easily addressed in broad guidelines, to optimize benefit and safety.