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3d ago

CDC Shifts to Shared Clinical Decision-Making for COVID-19 Shots in Children

Prompted by RFK Jr.’s directive to end universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, the CDC update preserves access to shots for high-risk children and adults under shared clinical decision-making.

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A young child receives a Moderna Covid-19 6 months to 5 years vaccination at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, Massachusetts on June 21, 2022. The temple was one of the first sites in the state to offer vaccinations to anyone in the public.. US health authorities on Saturday cleared the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines for children aged five and younger, in a move President Joe Biden greeted as a "monumental step" in the fight against the virus.
FILE - A sign marks the entrance to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, on Oct. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
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Overview

  • On May 29, the CDC replaced its broad “should receive” guidance for healthy children ages 6 months to 17 years with a “may receive” recommendation based on shared clinical decision-making.
  • The change follows Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s May 27 announcement urging the agency to drop universal vaccine recommendations for healthy kids and pregnant women.
  • The shared clinical decision-making status ensures continued insurance coverage for pediatric COVID-19 vaccines while allowing parents and providers to weigh individual risks and benefits.
  • The CDC still broadly recommends vaccination for moderately or severely immunocompromised children and most adults, but its messaging on pregnant women remains inconsistent across agency guidance.
  • Pediatric and obstetric groups warn that the softer language and mixed signals could confuse families, depress vaccination rates and erode public trust.