The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revised its guidance on COVID-19 vaccines for children, no longer urging universal vaccination for all minors. Instead, the agency now says that kids without preexisting conditions may receive the vaccine, depending on physician judgment and parental choice.
This policy shift was reflected in the CDC’s newly published childhood immunization schedule on Thursday. It follows a recent announcement by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who declared earlier in the week that the CDC would end its recommendation of COVID-19 shots for both healthy children and expectant mothers who are not considered at risk.
“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 judgment of a healthcare provider and personal preference and circumstances,” reads the revised CDC guidance.
Although the updated stance is now classified as a “shared clinical decision-making” approach for children, insurance providers will still be obligated to cover the cost of vaccinations for this age group.
The agency maintains its endorsement of COVID-19 vaccination for children with moderate or severe immune system issues, as well as for most adults. Pregnant women, however, are now categorized under “No Guidance/Not Applicable,” whereas previously the CDC had formally advised all pregnant adults to get vaccinated.
Kennedy, in a video posted online, emphasized that the CDC was also removing healthy pregnant women from its list of recommended COVID-19 vaccine recipients. Yet, multiple pages on the CDC’s website as of Friday still recommend that pregnant individuals receive the shot due to increased vulnerability to serious illness.
“Studies including hundreds of thousands of people around the world show that COVID-19 vaccination before and during pregnancy is safe, effective, and beneficial to both the pregnant woman and the baby. The benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy,” states one CDC webpage still live as of Friday.
Experts often view CDC vaccine recommendations as influential because they impact everything from insurance mandates to legal protections. These guidelines are typically vetted in public forums by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Another notable edit in Thursday’s release was the removal of a statement indicating that the recommendations had been formally endorsed by ACIP, the CDC, and various external medical associations.
The CDC’s current position aligns with what the advisory committee had been preparing to vote on next month: narrowing its COVID-19 vaccine guidance to focus primarily on older adults and at-risk children, while still allowing others to get vaccinated if they choose.
Historically, the CDC has used the “shared clinical decision-making” label to preserve insurance coverage for vaccines even when it chooses not to universally recommend them.
As of its April meeting, ACIP had not indicated any plan to withdraw its recommendation for pregnant women to be vaccinated. On the contrary, pregnancy was still considered one of the health conditions that might justify continued vaccination.
The updated recommendation appeared to be prompted by a memo from Kennedy that came shortly after his social media announcement. According to multiple officials at the CDC, the directive caught them off guard.
Kennedy’s order cited findings from the FDA and NIH, stating that for healthy children, “the risks of the COVID-19 vaccine… do not outweigh the purported benefits of the vaccine.” It also pointed to “the lack of high-quality data demonstrating safety of the mRNA vaccines during pregnancy combined with the uncertainty of the benefits” for both mother and child.
“Truly the death of expertise. This would be like the secretary of transportation directing that all planes must fly 5,000 feet higher than current. It’s vibe-based decision making,” remarked one federal health official in response to the directive.
In an internal message to employees on Friday morning, CDC officials confirmed the policy change. “As you might be aware, the HHS Secretary issued a directive to CDC to update COVID-19 vaccine recommendations on the child and adult immunization schedules. In accordance with that instruction, CDC last night posted updated versions,” the email stated.
{Matzav.com}