Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Mike Stobbe at The Associated Press is the basis of this AI-assisted article.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is breaking from federal vaccine guidance for the first time in three decades, creating competing recommendations that could confuse parents and health care providers.
Key facts explaining the divergence:
• The AAP strongly recommends COVID-19 shots for children ages 6 months to 2 years, citing high risk for severe illness in this age group.
• The AAP advises COVID-19 shots for older children if parents want their kids vaccinated.
• Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. government no longer recommends COVID-19 shots for healthy children of any age, though it allows shots in consultation with physicians.
• This marks the first “significant or substantial” difference between AAP and CDC recommendations since they synced their advice in 1995.
• Kennedy bypassed the traditional CDC expert panel that was set to make fall vaccination recommendations.
• Kennedy dismissed the 17-member advisory panel and appointed a smaller panel that includes vaccine skeptics.
• The AAP, American Medical Association, and other top medical organizations were excluded from working with Kennedy’s advisers on vaccination recommendations.
• Kennedy’s new panel endorsed continuing flu vaccinations but only for single-dose vaccines without the preservative thimerosal.
• The AAP recommends any licensed flu vaccine product, stating there’s no evidence of harm from thimerosal.
• The Department of Health and Human Services accused the AAP of “undermining national immunization policymaking with baseless political attacks.”
READ MORE: U.S. pediatricians’ new COVID-19 shot recommendations differ from CDC advice
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
