CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccine for routine immunizations

A panel of experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unanimously decided Thursday that the COVID-19 vaccine be added to the recommended immunization schedule for children and adults. Other vaccines on that schedule include those for measles, mumps, and influenza. The CDC says that it sets its recommended immunization schedule based on the recommendation of its panel of experts in its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

What is the ACIP? It’s a team of experts that meets three times a year to review and update the country’s recommended immunization schedule. They recommend everything from the specific number of doses to the timing between each dose, as well as the recommended ages of the recipients.

Dig deeper: Read Jenny Rough’s report from the WORLD archives about the complex legal questions surrounding religious exemptions for vaccines.