The American Academy of Pediatrics released its vaccine recommendations on Aug. 19 in a break from federal guidance shaped by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The AAP, in tandem with multiple other professional medical associations, previously decried a May announcement made by Kennedy Jr. that the COVID-19 vaccine would no longer be included in the Centers for Disease Control's recommended immunizations for healthy children and pregnant women, a move that went against previous expert guidance and bypassed the normal scientific review process.
The AAP, a professional organization of over 65,000 board-certified pediatricians dedicated to advancing children's medicine, said in a June 26 statement that it would "continue to publish its own evidence-based recommendations and schedules," as the creation of federal immunization policy is “no longer a credible process."
Kennedy Jr. drew further ire from medical communities when he fired all 17 original members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the committee of health experts that provides guidance on vaccine use to the CDC, replacing them with members that critics have called unqualified. Some of the members, like Kennedy Jr., have a history of anti-vaccine advocacy and involvement in anti-vaccine groups.
Here's what to know about the new AAP guidance and how it differs from federal guidelines.
What is the AAP guidance on COVID-19 vaccines for children?
The AAP schedule lists which vaccines children should get at certain ages and provides updated guidance on influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 immunizations for children and adolescents from birth to age 18.
The schedule recommends that all children between six months and 23 months receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine to reduce the chance of serious illness. Children and adolescents aged 2 to 18, without other high-risk factors like immunosuppression, can receive and should be offered the vaccine if they were not previously immunized, according to the guidance.
Children, teens, and adults alike who are at increased risk of serious infection should receive the vaccine if they have not already, AAP said, adding that its recommendation differed from the CDC, which it said is now staffed with people who have a history of spreading vaccine misinformation.
"The AAP will continue to provide recommendations for immunizations that are rooted in science and are in the best interest of the health of infants, children, and adolescents," AAP President Dr. Susan J. Kressly, MD, said in a statement. "Pediatricians know how important routine childhood immunizations are in keeping children, families and their communities healthy and thriving."
What is the federal guidance on COVID-19 vaccines for children?
The CDC did not go as far as completely removing COVID-19 vaccination from its immunization schedule despite Kennedy Jr.'s insistence. Instead, the agency changed its language from recommending the vaccine annually to suggesting parents consult with their child's physician on whether to vaccinate.
Kennedy Jr. previously said that the CDC planned only to recommend the COVID vaccine for people over the age of 65 and those at high personal risk of infection, though the agency's website still contains information recommending it for everyone over the age of six months. A notice on the top webpages on the topic reads, "COVID-19 vaccine recommendations have recently been updated for some populations. This page will be updated to align with the updated immunization schedule," as of Aug. 19.
This change to whom the vaccine is recommended could make it harder for others who want the COVID-19 vaccine to get it, experts warned. Since insurance coverage typically follows federal recommendations, anyone who wants the shot but isn't on the CDC's recommendation list may have to pay the price out of pocket
HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon defended the decision in a statement to USA TODAY, accusing the AAP, which receives funding from pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, of failing to have proper conflict-of-interest safeguards in place.
"By bypassing the CDC’s advisory process and freelancing its own recommendations, while smearing those who demand accountability, the AAP is putting commercial interests ahead of public health and politics above America’s children," Nixon said.
Kennedy Jr. shared a separate response on social media on Aug. 19, pointing out that the agency's top donors are four companies that "make virtually every vaccine on the CDC recommended childhood vaccine schedule" and saying that the AAP recommendations are "corporate-friendly" and may "promote commercial ambitions of AAP’s Big Pharma benefactors" instead of public health.
"AAP should also be candid with doctors and hospitals that recommendations that diverge from the CDC’s official list are not shielded from liability under the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act," his post concluded.
USA TODAY reached out to AAP for comment on Aug. 19 but has not received a response.
The new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices didn’t vote on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations when they met in June and are expected to reconvene in "September/October," according to the CDC.
The FDA has signaled intentions to revoke the Pfizer COVID-19 shot for young, healthy children. In early August, HHS announced that it would pull $500M in funding from mRNA vaccine research and development.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Young kids should receive COVID vaccine despite CDC advice: AAP
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