RFK Jr. seeks input on vaccine recommendation categories
HHS is taking public comment on possible new vaccine labels, but it has not changed any recommendations or named vaccines for them.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Federal health officials are seeking public input on possible changes to RFK Jr. vaccine recommendation categories, opening the door to new labels for childhood shots without adopting any new recommendation. The 10-page Health and Human Services request for information does not identify vaccines that could receive a new designation, and comments are due Sept. 20, according to Ars Technica and Axios.
The filing is a request for views, rather than a final rule or an immediate change in vaccine policy. Axios reports that earlier administration efforts to alter the childhood vaccination schedule were halted by a federal court.
What are the current vaccine recommendation categories?
Federal recommendations now generally fall into three types, according to Ars Technica: routine, or universal, recommendations for everyone in a specified group; risk-based recommendations for people at higher risk; and shared clinical decision-making.
Shared clinical decision-making is a more individualized approach in which a patient and clinician weigh the person’s characteristics, values and preferences alongside the clinician’s judgment. Ars Technica describes it as a flexible and uncommon type of recommendation.
HHS is asking whether to add to, revise or replace those categories. The examples discussed in the filing include “recommended with qualification” and “recommended, but not during infancy,” Axios reports. The department has not said which vaccines, if any, might fall under such labels.
What has changed for parents and patients?
No category or vaccine recommendation has been adopted through this request. The filing itself therefore does not immediately alter vaccine availability, insurance coverage or state school-entry requirements.
There could be downstream consequences if federal recommendations eventually change. Axios reported that alternatives to universal recommendations could affect whether insurers cover a vaccine’s full cost. But NPR reported on Aug. 11 that insurance coverage was then unchanged, citing the insurance trade group AHIP’s statement that health plans would cover CDC-recommended vaccines through the end of 2027.
State governments set school vaccination requirements, NPR reported. Parents seeking guidance on vaccinations for adults can also review the adult vaccine schedule, which varies by age, health history and other circumstances.
The request also raises questions about how clearly federal recommendations should distinguish universal advice from recommendations that call for a discussion with a clinician. Axios reported that the filing addresses potential confusion and lower vaccination uptake when patients are directed to consult a doctor before receiving a shot.
Stanford infectious-disease specialist Jake Scott and vaccine-law professor Richard Hughes criticized the process in comments reported by Axios. Their assessments are views on the administration’s approach; the public comment period remains open through Sept. 20.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.