The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory panel issued new COVID-19 vaccine guidelines Friday — and the decision could affect millions of Floridians.
The panel voted to remove all universal recommendations for this fall’s COVID shot, instead leaving the decision up to individuals. They also voted to remove prescription requirements, meaning patients won’t need a doctor’s note to get vaccinated.
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But the changes are already raising concerns about access and cost.
Dr. Michael Haller, a pediatric endocrinologist, says with no CDC recommendation in place, insurance companies may decide not to cover the vaccine — even for people who want it.
“It may result in fewer insurers being willing to pay for vaccinations, even for those who do want it,” Haller told WPTV’s Michael Hoffman. “So the notion that anybody will be able to get it if they want it may not actually be correct.”
Haller says one positive step is that the CDC panel eliminated the prescription requirement.
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“That’s at least a move in the right direction,” he said, adding that requiring prescriptions has been “an unnecessary burden” that discouraged people from getting vaccinated.
“I have colleagues who were unable to get vaccinated, who actually are over 65 because they didn't walk into a major pharmacy with a prescription in hand, and had to be turned away, only to come back later with one so that they could then be given the vaccine,” said Haller. “So, you know, every little thing like that that happens is going to have an exponential effect on the number of people who aren't vaccinated, and therefore going to increase the spread.”
The updated guidance will not take effect until the CDC’s acting director signs off — and it’s not clear when that might happen.
Once finalized, CVS has already said it will allow patients in Florida to book appointments online or walk in for the shot, according to NBC News.
And while the CDC may no longer recommend the vaccine, other medical organizations say they will continue to do so.
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“The American Academy of Pediatrics will continue to provide its own vaccine recommendations,” Haller said.
He stressed the importance of remembering the virus has, like the flu, not totally gone away.
“People think COVID is gone, but it is not. We’re in the middle of another COVID wave, and there are people dying of COVID every day. The number of those deaths could be reduced if people were appropriately and adequately vaccinated.”
