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2h ago

Pediatricians Break With CDC, Urge COVID Shots for Infants and Toddlers

The break raises coverage questions since insurers follow CDC panels, with FDA signals pointing to tighter pediatric authorizations.

FILE - A pharmacist holds a Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
A nurse fills up a syringe with COVID-19 vaccine in Waterford, Michigan, U.S., April 8, 2022. REUTERS/Emily Elconin/File Photo
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 03: National Jewish Health registered nurse Lindsay Waldman, left, prepares to administer a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to Emma Waas, 5, as her father, Andy Waas, comforts her on November 3, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine for the 28 million children aged 5-11 years old. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Shivani Agarwal, left, sits with her daughter daughter Kiran, 3, during the observation period after Kiran was inoculated with the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months through 4 years old, Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at Montefiore Medical Group in the Bronx borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Overview

  • New AAP immunization guidance strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination for children 6 to 23 months, citing elevated risk of severe illness in this age group.
  • The AAP advises a single COVID-19 dose for ages 2 to 18 who are high risk, live in long-term care, have never been vaccinated, or share a home with high‑risk individuals.
  • Federal policy under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shifted to shared clinical decision-making for healthy children after he replaced the CDC’s ACIP with a smaller panel.
  • The divergence could limit reimbursement and Vaccines for Children access because insurers and federal programs typically align coverage with ACIP recommendations.
  • Access may tighten further, as the FDA has indicated it might restrict future pediatric use and may not renew Pfizer’s authorization for children under 5.