US pediatric group breaks with federal policy, recommends COVID-19 vaccines for young children
The U.S. pediatric group, in its latest policy document, said all young children aged 6-23 months should receive a COVID-19 vaccine regardless of previous doses or SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recommended vaccination for older children in certain risk groups.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in May COVID-19 vaccines are now an option for healthy children when parents and doctors agree that it is needed.
Prior to the new guidance, the agency routinely recommended updated COVID vaccines for everyone aged six months and older, in line with the advice of its panel of outside experts.
"Shared clinical decision-making (involving parents and doctors) can be difficult to implement because it lacks clear guidance and does not emphasize the importance of vaccinating people at high risk of severe disease," the AAP said in a statement.
In early July, the AAP and other major medical groups sued Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for unilaterally removing routine vaccination recommendations.
The rate of COVID-19 hospitalization for children under 2 years is the highest among pediatric age groups, and for children aged 6-23 months, it is comparable to people aged 50-64 years, the group said on Tuesday, citing CDC data.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month said it is reinstating a federal task force for safer childhood vaccines after a 27-year hiatus.
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