CDC panel calls COVID vaccines 'personal choice' - How California is responding

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After a dizzying array of back and forth on COVID vaccines, you might be wondering if you're eligible, if it's covered or if you should even get the shot at all?

Doctors are offering some solid information, especially for those living in California.

Last week, a newly-appointed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel tasked with setting national vaccine policy broke with a long-standing U.S. precedent.

In a sweeping vote, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices stayed away from issuing any strong guidelines and instead decided that getting a COVID shot should be a personal choice.

"They basically are giving their public health responsibility back down to the state level," said Asefeh Faraz Covelli, PhD., Associate Professor with the George Washington University School of Nursing.

She said California along with other states in the West Coast Health Alliance issued standing orders aiming to preserve COVID shot access.

"You don't need to go to your doctor, or your nurse practitioner, or your physician assistant to get an order," said Covelli. "A standing order means we all have the power ourselves to go and get that vaccine."

As for coverage, Covelli said that shouldn't change for California residents.

"There should not be any issues. If somebody has insurance, their insurance company should be covering those COVID vaccines," she said.

Who should get the COVID vaccine?

The California Health Department recommends the vaccine for all children 6 months to 23 months and those 2 to 64 years old with underlying risk factors and for those 65 and older.

It's also recommended for pregnant women and for any healthy adult who wants protection. This comes as health officials report an uptick in local cases.

"It's not worth the complications. Even long COVID, it can be very, very debilitating for a lot of individuals, so I don't think it's worth taking the risk," said Covelli, who added that this year's vaccine is a good match for the existing variants.

Many Southern Californians find pharmacies to be the most convenient place to get their COVID shots.

CVS Pharmacy says they're accepting appointments on its digital scheduling app.

For now, it requires screening for eligibility, but once the CDC authorizes the advisory panel's recommendation, which says getting the COVID vaccine it's a personal choice, CVS plans to remove the screening questions.