CDC Adds COVID-19 Vaccine to Its Routine Immunization Schedule

In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its schedule of recommended immunizations to include COVID-19 shots and boosters for children, adolescents and adults after a recommendation by the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and other healthcare organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“This means COVID-19 vaccine is now presented as any other routinely recommended vaccine and is no longer presented in a special ‘call out’ box as in previous years,” say Neil Murthy, MD, MPH, MSJ, and A. Patricia Wodi, MD, authors of the report recommending COVID-19 vaccines be added to the schedule. “This, in a sense, helps ‘normalize’ this vaccine and sends a powerful message to both healthcare providers and the general public that everyone ages 6 months and older should stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccines (including a booster, when eligible), just as they would with any other routinely recommended vaccine.”

Specifically, the new schedule says children aged 6 months to 4 years can choose between a two-dose Moderna primary series, followed by a bivalent Moderna booster, or a three-dose Pfizer-BioNTech primary course. For 5-year-old children, the schedule recommends two doses of Moderna, followed by a bivalent mRNA booster, or two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech followed by the company’s bivalent booster. For children aged 6 to 11, CDC recommends two doses of the Moderna vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, in both cases followed by an mRNA booster. Those aged 12 to 18 years can choose between a two-dose Moderna series or a two-dose series from Pfizer-BioNTech or Novavax, followed by a bivalent booster for either. And, adults can choose a two-part primary series, followed by a bivalent booster dose.

The report also includes guidance for children, adolescents and adults who are immunocompromised, as well as new and updated guidance for the influenza, pneumococcal and measles, mumps and rubella vaccines.