The moves are in response to recent changes to long-established processes for crafting vaccine guidance at the federal level. That means healthy adults and children who want to get the vaccine must now get a prescription outside federal recommendations. “I’m sad that we’re in a place where we have to do this,” says Dr. Erica Pan, director and state public health officer at the California Department of Public Health. Other sources of medical authority besides CDCThe CDC’s ACIP is scheduled to meet later this month to review COVID vaccines. Differences between states in the availability of COVID vaccines and whether they’re recommended can be confusing for consumers.