CDC panel votes to limit Covid vaccine eligibility for most healthy adults

On Friday, a CDC advisory panel unanimously recommended limiting the Covid shot to people 65 and older or those with underlying health conditions.

Healthy kids and adults looking for an updated Covid shot this fall may have a tougher time getting it.

On Friday, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel unanimously recommended limiting the Covid shot to people 65 and older or those with underlying health conditions, based on an individual decision or with their doctor. The panel rejected a separate recommendation that the agency should encourage states to require a prescription.

People under 65 are advised to consult with their doctor, the panel said, with “an emphasis that the risk-benefit of vaccination is most favorable for individuals who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease.”

The recommendation — if cleared by acting CDC Director ​​Jim O’Neill — narrows the agency’s earlier stance, which called for the shot to be offered to everyone 6 months and older.

The panel chose not to take a vote on whether to recommend the shot for pregnant women, deferring the decision to CDC officials, Retsef Levi, a member of the advisory committee, said during the meeting.