The latest CDC childhood vaccination schedule removed a number of key pediatric vaccinations from the standard guidelines, and instead shifted them to something called “shared clinical decision making.”
This includes children’s vaccines against flu, COVID, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, and meningococcal disease.
But what is shared clinical decision making?
If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. A study from the Annenberg Public Policy Center from the University of Pennsylvania found that at least 1 in 10 aren’t sure what it means, but up to 2 in 5 had some sort of misunderstanding about the meaning.
Shared clinical decision making means the parent or guardian should discuss their child’s individual situation and medical history with a healthcare provider.
This is an alternative to the broad, benefits-based recommendations that CDC made before these changes. As a reminder, no science changed around these vaccinations. This is a policy-based change, not an evidence-based one.
Who counts as a healthcare provider for shared clinical decision making?
The good news is that families have lots of options - and some are more accessible than others. A healthcare provider that can administer vaccines and discuss your child’s individual situation include:
Can I still get these vaccinations for my kid?
Yes! No part of the CDC recommendation changes bans any of these vaccines, and they’re all still covered by insurance. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) still recommends all 17 of the routine childhood vaccinations that the CDC used to recommend broadly, and at least 17 states and many key counties and hospital groups have announced they won’t use the new CDC schedule.
Sources: CIDRAP, Annenberg Public Policy Center, ACIP
Last year’s headlines about the risk of black plastic kitchen utensils were based on some flawed math. Turns out the idea that we have a spoon’s worth of plastic in our brains might be, too. Should you go out and replace them in your kitchen? Maybe not. But don’t stress if you still use some.