CDC recommends parents talk to a doctor about getting COVID-19 shots for kids

The CDC's vaccine schedule recommends COVID vaccines for children done 'shared objective decision-making.' There is nary proposal for pregnant women. kamon_saejueng/iStockphoto/Getty Images hide caption

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kamon_saejueng/iStockphoto/Getty Images

The national authorities has removed nan proposal that children and pregnant women get regular COVID-19 vaccines.

The change, reflected successful caller vaccine schedules posted by nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention connected May 30, results from a directive announced connected May 27 by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., successful a minute-long video posted connected X.

"I couldn't beryllium much pleased to denote that arsenic of coming nan COVID vaccine for patient children and patient pregnant women has been removed from nan CDC recommended immunization schedule," Kennedy said successful nan video, "We're now 1 measurement person to realizing President Trump's committedness to make America patient again."

The reality of nan recommendations is much nuanced.

Previously, nan CDC had urged everyone six months and older to get annual, updated COVID shots arsenic a regular recommendation.

Now, nan CDC's vaccine schedule recommends COVID vaccines for children done shared objective decision-making — that is, if a expert and a diligent determine together that it makes sense. And there's no recommendation for pregnant women to get COVID vaccines.

"We are relieved to spot coming that nan U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its schedules for kid and teen immunizations to let families to support nan prime to immunize their children against COVID successful consultation pinch their doctor," Dr. Susan Kressly, President of nan American Academy of Pediatrics, said successful an emailed statement.

"However, nan profoundly flawed process to scope nan proposal raises superior concerns astir nan stableness of nan nation's immunization infrastructure and committedness by national leaders to make judge families tin entree captious immunizations, whether for COVID aliases different infectious diseases," Kressly said.

Kennedy's announcement connected May 27 blindsided CDC staff, who were not informed of nan alteration to COVID-19 vaccine argumentation earlier nan determination went public, according to a CDC charismatic who requested anonymity since they were not authorized to speak to nan media.

Hours aft the station connected X, CDC staffers received a directive from Secretary Kennedy — dated May 19, but sent May 27 — rescinding nan department's 2022 acceptance of nan CDC's recommendations for nan usage of COVID shots successful children and during pregnancy. The directive, viewed by NPR, ordered nan CDC to region these recommendations from their vaccine schedules.

The changes contradict nan proposal of master aesculapian groups specified arsenic nan American Academy of Family Physicians and nan American Academy of Pediatrics, who proceed to urge COVID vaccines to children and pregnant women based connected technological grounds that shows they are safe and effective. Their logos appeared on erstwhile versions of nan CDC's vaccine schedules, but are absent from nan existent versions arsenic their recommendations nary longer align.

Although children don't thin to get earnestly sick from COVID, immoderate do, especially very young children. Pregnant women remain astatine precocious risk for superior complications from nan virus, according to nan American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Public wellness experts are alarmed by really nan changes were made. Typically, "it's a very transparent nationalist process," says Dr. Sean O'Leary, a professor of pediatrics astatine nan University of Colorado School of Medicine, who represents nan AAP arsenic a liaison to nan CDC's vaccine advisory committee. "The information are shared publicly, nan chat happens publically and past they travel to a determination connected really to urge vaccines."

The closed-door process upends nan nationalist discussions and votes that person been a hallmark of vaccine policymaking for decades.

The determination will make it overmuch harder for parents to get their children vaccinated and for pregnant group to get nan shots, O'Leary says. For clinicians, "shared objective decision-making conversations are really challenging to person successful a ten-minute agency visit," he says, and pinch a loosening of nan recommendations, less doctors' offices whitethorn take to support nan vaccines connected hand.

Some security companies whitethorn nary longer salary for them, says Richard Hughes, a erstwhile executive astatine nan vaccine institution Moderna, who now teaches healthcare rule and argumentation astatine George Washington University. "Expect variability successful coverage, anterior authorization and out-of-pocket [costs], each of which will discourage uptake," he says.

The downgrading of COVID vaccine recommendations comes soon aft the management made changes that could dramatically restrict nan readiness of nan adjacent information of COVID boosters. The authorities will now require further testing for nan vaccines to beryllium approved for usage by anyone different than group who are astatine precocious consequence from COVID because they are property 65 aliases older aliases person consequence factors for different wellness problems.