Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Monday that all private insurers in the state must continue covering vaccines recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in 2024, regardless of recent reversals by the newly reconstituted panel led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
Shapiro said federal inconsistency has created “confusion” for doctors and patients. His administration directed insurers to maintain coverage for vaccines such as COVID-19 shots, even though the FDA currently limits approval to older or high-risk groups. Pennsylvania’s Department of Health also expanded its guidance, recommending reliance on the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — all of which back routine immunization.
The move highlights a growing rift between Pennsylvania and federal health authorities. Earlier this month, the state’s Board of Pharmacy adopted similar policies, and Pennsylvania joined a Northeastern coalition to coordinate regional vaccine guidance and infectious disease response.
Shapiro criticized the ACIP’s chaotic two-day meeting, where members reversed votes on the combined MMRV vaccine and tabled a hepatitis B change. “They’re just injecting total and complete chaos,” Shapiro said.
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