ACIP Recommendations
The ACIP develops recommendations on how to use vaccines to control disease in the United States.
The Committee’s recommendations are forwarded to CDC’s Director for approval. Once the ACIP recommendations have been reviewed and approved by the CDC Director and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, they are published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The MMWR publication represents the final and official CDC recommendations for immunization of the U.S. population.
Professional organizations that work with the ACIP to develop the annual childhood and adult schedules include the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the American College of Physicians (ACP).
- ACIP Recommendations
Complete list of ACIP recommendations published in the MMWR. - Immunization Schedules
Links to the childhood, adolescent, catch-up, and adult immunization schedules; plus vaccine recording and screening forms. - ACIP Shared Clinical Decision-Making FAQs
Frequently asked questions about ACIP’s recommendations based on shared clinical decision-making
December 1, 2020 Meeting Recommendation
ACIP approved the following recommendation by majority (13-1) vote at its December 1, 2020 emergency meeting.
When a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized by FDA and recommended by ACIP, vaccination in the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program (Phase 1a) should be offered to both 1) health care personnel§ and 2) residents of long-term care facilities¶
This recommendation has been adopted by the CDC Director.
§Health care personnel are defined as paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials
¶ Long-term care facility residents are defined as adults who reside in facilities that provide a variety of services, including medical and personal care, to persons who are unable to live independently
October 28-30, 2020 Meeting Recommendations
ACIP approved the following recommendations by majority vote at its October 2020 meeting.
- The Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, United States, 2021, for ages 18 years or younger.
- The Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, United States, 2021, for ages 19 years and older.
These recommendations have been adopted by the CDC Director and will become official once published in MMWR.
ACIP approved the following recommendations by majority vote at its February 2020 meeting.
Pre-exposure vaccination with rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine is recommended for adults 18 years of age or older in the United States population who are at potential risk of exposure to Ebola virus (species Zaire ebolavirus) because they:
- Are responding to an outbreak of Ebola virus disease; or
- Work as healthcare personnel at a federally-designated Ebola Treatment Center in the United States; or
- Work as laboratorians or other staff at biosafety-level 4 facilities in the United States.
These recommendations have been adopted by the CDC Director and will become official once published in MMWR.
[1] Healthcare personnel (HCP) refers to all paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials, including body substances (e.g., blood, tissue, and specific body fluids); contaminated medical supplies, devices, and equipment; contaminated environmental surfaces; or contaminated air. These HCP include, but are not limited to, emergency medical service personnel, nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, technicians, clinical laboratory personnel, autopsy personnel, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, students and trainees, contractual staff not employed by the healthcare facility, and persons not directly involved in patient care, but who could be exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted in the healthcare setting (e.g., clerical, dietary, environmental services, laundry, security, engineering and facilities management, administrative, billing, and volunteer personnel).