The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending that all children under the age of 2 receive COVID-19 shots, despite a recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop vaccinating healthy children over six months.
According to the AAP, families should make individual decisions about whether their child receives the vaccine based on their specific risk factors, such as underlying health conditions or household exposure. However, the pediatric organization believes that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks for the youngest age group.
The change in recommendations comes after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all members of ACIP and replaced them with individuals who have expressed anti-vaccine views. This move has led to concerns about the science-based guidance provided by the CDC, which is now being questioned by some experts.
Doctors and pediatricians will need to navigate these conflicting recommendations when advising families on COVID-19 vaccination for their children. While the AAP provides guidelines to inform discussions with families, pharmacists are restricted from recommending vaccines outside of the CDC’s approved schedule.
Insurance coverage for COVID-19 vaccines in this age group is still unclear, but the AAP urges private insurers to continue covering the vaccine for infants six to 23 months despite ACIP’s recommendation.
Source: https://time.com/7311005/covid-19-vaccine-kids-advice-aap-cdc