Overview

• The AAP’s updated schedule recommends vaccination for all children ages 6–23 months, prioritizes high‑risk older children, and uses shared decision‑making for otherwise healthy ages 2–18.
• The guidance departs from HHS and CDC language that no longer recommends routine COVID vaccination for healthy children after the ACIP was dismissed and reconstituted under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• CDC data cited by the AAP show hospitalization rates for ages 6–23 months are the highest in pediatrics and comparable to adults 50–64.
• Regulatory limits persist as the FDA has not approved updated COVID vaccines for otherwise healthy young children and has signaled higher evidence requirements for low‑risk groups.
• The AAP is pressing insurers to cover its schedule despite ACIP uncertainty, with some health plans indicating they will continue paying for respiratory virus vaccines this season.