By Annika Kim Constantino

Copyright cnbc

The answer should be yes if you’re at high risk of severe illness from Covid, according to health experts and major medical organizations.

Meanwhile, some experts said those at low risk should at least consider getting a Covid shot, or can make their decision based on consultation with a provider.

ACIP advised that people 6 months and up receive vaccines based on “shared clinical decision-making,” a choice made between a health-care provider and a patient or their guardian. The group also voted to emphasize that for those under 65, the Covid vaccine is most beneficial for people at high risk of severe illness from the disease.

In other words, the panel is recommending that everyone consult a health-care provider when deciding whether to receive a shot.

But some health experts said the panel should have recommended that all people at high risk of severe illness from Covid get the shot. That includes adults ages 65 and above; those under that age with at least one condition that puts them at high risk, such as cancer, obesity or chronic kidney disease; pregnant women; and children under the age of 2.

Vaccination is paramount for those groups, as it helps prevent severe Covid and the risk of hospitalization or death due to the virus.

“Their recommendation is treating Covid as if it’s the same for everybody irrespective of risk, and that’s the wrong way to think about it,” said Johns Hopkins’ Adalja. “Any high-risk group should always stay up to date with the vaccine.”

That view largely aligns with guidance from professional medical organizations:

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children ages 6 months through 23 months get an updated shot, along with older children ages 2 years through 18 years in certain risk groups or who are in close contact with people at high risk. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that patients receive an updated Covid vaccine at any point during pregnancy, when planning to become pregnant, in the postpartum period or when lactating. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that all adults 19 years and older receive an updated shot, with a particular emphasis on those at high risk or people who have never received a Covid vaccine.

Two regional health alliances comprised of several states – The Northeast Public Health Collaborative and the West Coast Health Alliance – have based their Covid vaccine recommendations on the guidance from those three organizations.

Adalja said it is reasonable for a person at low risk of severe illness to rely on a conversation with a provider when determining whether to get a Covid vaccine.

Meanwhile, Richard Dang, an associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Southern California, said he recommends everyone consider getting a Covid shot regardless of their risk level. Dang is also a liaison member representing the American Pharmacists Association in the Covid vaccine work group of ACIP.

Apart from reducing the severity of illness from the virus, some data shows vaccines can help prevent some symptoms of long Covid and other complications that people develop after an infection, according to Dang.

Healthy individuals should also think about family and others around them who may be at higher risk of severe illness, said Dr. Pamela Rockwell, a clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan.

“Vaccinating yourself may potentially save another life by not potentially infecting them with a vaccine-preventable disease,” Rockwell said.

Several medical experts have emphasized the importance of vaccines as the U.S. heads into the fall and winter, when infectious diseases, particularly respiratory viruses like Covid, spread more easily. While hospitalizations and deaths from Covid have decreased significantly from previous years, the virus is still spreading.