California Issues Independent Vaccine Guidance Amidst Shifting Federal Landscape
SACRAMENTO – As federal vaccine policy faces uncertainty, California health officials have released the state’s immunization guidance for the fall and winter, recommending COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines to protect residents. The move comes as insurers with federally regulated plans remain hesitant to commit to full vaccine coverage ahead of guidance from the CDC’s advisory committee.
Approximately 5.4 million Californians are covered by insurance subject to federal, rather than state, regulations – typically employees of large, national or multinational companies. Nationally, insurers have been reluctant to publicly state their coverage plans for the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
Despite the uncertainty, state officials anticipate insurers will continue to cover vaccinations, citing the cost-effectiveness of prevention over treatment. “It’s much cheaper for insurers to pay for vaccines than it is for them to pay for treatment of the diseases they prevent,” said Susan Reiss, a health policy consultant.
California’s collaborative effort with Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington is also expected to influence insurer decisions. “They might just say, ‘This is a big chunk of the population.We might as well have the same policy for all the country,'” Reiss added.
The state’s recommendations align with a moderate increase in COVID-19 infections, with 11.72% of samples tested positive as of September 6 – a slight increase compared to the same period last year, according to the California Department of public Health.
California’s immunization guidance includes:
* COVID-19 vaccine: Recommended for all eligible individuals.
* Flu shot: Recommended for everyone 6 months and older.
* RSV vaccine: Recommended for all babies younger than 8 months, and for those between 8 months and 19 months with risk factors. Also recommended for pregnant women at 32-36 weeks gestation, and seniors 75 and older, and also those ages 50-74 with comorbidities.
“If we want to make America healthy, rather than treating disease, we want to prevent disease, and well, vaccination is one of the best creations to prevent disease,” stated Dr. Jeffrey Silvers, an infectious disease specialist at Sutter Health. “It’s right up there with clean water in terms of preventing disease.”
