BREAKING: CDC votes to add Covid-19 vaccines to children’s immunization schedule

On Thursday, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for adding the Covid-19 vaccine to the CDC’s child and adolescent immunization schedule.

The committee voted 15-0 in favor of adding the vaccines to the schedule.

Speaking earlier in the morning, Dr. Patricia Wodi said that the Covid-19 vaccine has been placed as a recommendation from 6 months of age and older.

During a question period, one member of the committee raised questions over the vaccine being included on the schedule when it’s been recommended for use under an Emergency Use Authorizations, to which Wodi said they spoke with the Office of General Counsel, who said that it would be okay to add.

The vote comes after the committee approved 15-0 to add the vaccination to the federally funded Vaccine for Kids program, which provides vaccines to children at no or low cost to families.

While the schedule serves as a recommendation regarding vaccines children should receive by a certain age, some schools use the schedule as guidelines for their required vaccinations to enter school.

On Wednesday afternoon, the CDC fought back against claims that the move to place the Covid-19 vaccine on the schedule would mean that the vaccine is now required by children.

"Thursday, CDC's independent advisory committee (ACIP) will vote on an updated childhood immunization schedule. States establish vaccine requirements for school children, not ACIP or CDC," they wrote on Twitter.