The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has slightly tweaked its COVID-19 immunisation recommendation for children. It now states that the child can receive the COVID-19 vaccine through shared clinical decision-making — that is, if a doctor and the parents agree that it is necessary.
This comes days after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the agency would remove the shots from its immunisation schedule for kids and pregnant women.
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In a schedule published late on Thursday, the CDC said any COVID vaccination in healthy children aged 6 months to 17 years should follow “shared clinical decision-making” between a child’s parents and their healthcare provider. There’s no recommendation for pregnant women to get the COVID vaccines.
It had previously recommended updated COVID vaccines for everyone aged six months and older, following the guidance of its panel of outside experts.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson clarified that Kennedy’s statement doesn’t contradict the CDC’s current vaccine schedule.
“Where the parent presents with a desire for their child to be vaccinated, children 6 months and older may receive COVID-19 vaccination, informed by the clinical judgement of a healthcare provider and personal preference and circumstances,” the CDC notice said. It provides instructions for administering the shots to healthy children by age group, from infants to teenagers.
Kennedy’s announcement prompted criticism from medical experts who said that the announcement undermined trust in the vaccine process by bypassing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They also worry that Kennedy’s statement might lead insurers to drop coverage of COVID-19 vaccines for vulnerable groups.
