ICLAC Newsletter – October 2025

UPDATED RECOMMENDATIONS

CDC Endorses Covid Vaccine Changes and Makes MMRV Recommendations

On Monday, October 6th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the recommendations that came out of last month’s meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which included changes to Covid-19 vaccine guidance and the elimination of a combination Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella (MMRV) vaccine. The adoption of ACIP’s recommendations makes them the agency’s official recommendations. This means that, with respect to the Covid-19 vaccine, CDC now recommends that adults 65 years and older or between 6 months and 64 years with an underlying health condition use “shared clinical decision making” when deciding whether to get the Covid-19 vaccine. With respect to the MMRV vaccine, CDC now recommends that children under age 4 receive two separate vaccines—one for measles, mumps, and rubella and one for varicella—instead of one combination dose.

COVID-19 Vaccine Expanded to Include Access for Pregnant Women

CDC released an update this week that broadens access to the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. This move reverses course from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s earlier decision to end COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for pregnant women. Pharmacies can now administer COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women, and almost all insurers must now cover the cost of the shot with no cost sharing. The ACIP COVID-19 vaccine vote in September did not specify whether the shot should be administered during pregnancy.

Source: www.naccho.org

New Evidence Underscores Importance of Maternal Covid Vaccination, but Public Hesitancy Remains High

• Pregnant and recently pregnant women face elevated risk of severe illness from Covid. Infants under 6 months are not eligible for Covid vaccination, and their risk of severe Covid is very high, with hospitalization rates comparable to those of adults aged 65 to 74. Vaccinated mothers pass protective antibodies against COVID to their infants under 6 months, thus reducing the risk of severe illness to the birthing parent and child.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) continues to recommend Covid vaccination during pregnancy to help protect both mothers and infants during these periods of high vulnerability. New evidence reinforces the importance of maternal vaccination:
  • A meta-analysis of more than 1.2 million women found that maternal Covid vaccination was associated with lowered risks of Covid infection during pregnancy, stillbirth, preterm birth, neonatal intensive care admission, and congenital anomalies. These findings were presented last week at the AAP annual meeting.
  • A US modeling study estimated that maternal Covid vaccination prevented approximately 7,000 hospitalizations in infants and 3,000 in pregnant women between January 2024 and May 2025.

Source: VaccinateYourFamily.org

California has joined the West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) to increase consistency of recommendations across states and increase public confidence.

CDPH and the WCHA continue to review new information and update recommendations as needed. These are the official recommendations of CDPH, as required under Assembly Bill 144 (2025, California Health and Safety Code section 120164). This bill shifts vaccine recommendations from the CDC’s ACIP to CDPH. Recommended vaccines must be covered by California Health Plans, including Medi-Cal managed care plans. Pharmacists may independently initiate and administer immunizations recommended by CDPH.

Public Health for All Vaccine Recommendations