Latest news with #pediatricians
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. just radically changed its COVID vaccine recommendations: How will it affect you?
As promised, federal health officials have dropped longstanding recommendations that healthy children and healthy pregnant women should get the COVID-19 vaccines. "The COVID-19 vaccine schedule is very clear. The vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women. The vaccine is not recommended for healthy children," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a post on X on Friday. In formal documents, health officials offer "no guidance" on whether pregnant women should get the vaccine, and ask that parents talk with a healthcare provider before getting the vaccine for their children. The decision was done in a way that is still expected to require insurers to pay for COVID-19 vaccines for children should their parents still want the shots for them. The new vaccine guidelines were posted to the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear whether insurers will still be required under federal law to pay for vaccinations for pregnant women. The Trump administration's decision came amid criticism from officials at the nation's leading organizations for pediatricians and obstetricians. Some doctors said there is no new evidence to support removing the recommendation that healthy pregnant women and healthy children should get the COVID vaccine. "This situation continues to make things unclear and creates confusion for patients, providers and payers," the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in a statement Friday. Earlier in the week, the group's president, Dr. Steven Fleischman, said the science hasn't changed, and that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and protects both the mom-to-be and their infants after birth. "It is very clear that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic," Fleischman said in a statement. Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, criticized the recommendation change as being rolled out in a "conflicting, confusing" manner, with "no explanation of the evidence used to reach their conclusions." "For many families, the COVID vaccine will remain an important way they protect their child and family from this disease and its complications, including long COVID," Kressly said in a statement. Some experts said the Trump administration should have waited to hear recommendations from a committee of doctors and scientists that typically advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunization recommendations, which is set to meet in late June. The California Department of Public Health on Thursday said it supported the longstanding recommendation that "COVID-19 vaccines be available for all persons aged 6 months and older who wish to be vaccinated." The changes come as the CDC has faced an exodus of senior leaders and has lacked an acting director. Typically, as was the case during the first Trump administration and in the Biden administration, it is the CDC director who makes final decisions on vaccine recommendations. The CDC director has traditionally accepted the consensus viewpoint of the CDC's panel of doctors and scientists serving on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Even with the longstanding recommendations, vaccination rates were relatively low for children and pregnant women. As of late April, 13% of children, and 14.4% of pregnant women, had received the latest updated COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. About 23% of adults overall received the updated vaccine, as did 27.8% of seniors age 65 and over. The CDC estimates that since October, there have been 31,000 to 50,000 COVID deaths and between 270,000 and 430,000 COVID hospitalizations. Here are some key points about the CDC's decision: Previously, the CDC's guidance was simple: everyone ages 6 months and up should get an updated COVID vaccination. The most recent version was unveiled in September, and is officially known as the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine. As of Thursday, the CDC, on its pediatric immunization schedule page, says that for healthy children — those age 6 months to 17 years — decisions about COVID vaccination should come from "shared clinical decision-making," which is "informed by a decision process between the healthcare provider and the patient or parent/guardian." "Where the parent presents with a desire for their child to be vaccinated, children 6 months and older may receive COVID-19 vaccination, informed by the clinical judgment of a healthcare provider and personal preference and circumstances," the CDC says. The vaccine-skeptic secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., contended in a video posted on Tuesday there was a "lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children." However, an earlier presentation by CDC staff said that, in general, getting an updated vaccine provides both children and adults additional protection from COVID-related emergency room and urgent care visits. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert, said he would have preferred the CDC retain its broader recommendation that everyone age 6 months and up get the updated vaccine. "It's simpler," Chin-Hong said. He added there's no new data out there that to him suggests children shouldn't be getting the updated COVID vaccine. A guideline that involves "shared decision-making," Chin-Hong said, "is a very nebulous recommendation, and it doesn't result in a lot of people getting vaccines." Kressly, of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the shared clinical decision-making model is challenging to implement "because it lacks clear guidance for the conversations between a doctor and a family. Doctors and families need straightforward, evidence-based guidance, not vague, impractical frameworks." Some experts had been worried that the CDC would make a decision that would've ended the federal requirement that insurers cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccines for children. The out-of-pocket cost for a COVID-19 vaccine can reach around $200. In its adult immunization schedule for people who have medical conditions, the CDC now says it has "no guidance" on whether pregnant women should get the COVID-19 vaccine. In his 58-second video on Tuesday, Kennedy did not explain why he thought pregnant women should not be recommended to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Chin-Hong, of UCSF, called the decision to drop the vaccination recommendation for pregnant women "100%" wrong. Pregnancy brings with it a relatively compromised immune system. Pregnant women have "a high chance of getting infections, and they get more serious disease — including COVID," Chin-Hong said. A pregnant woman getting vaccinated also protects the newborn. "You really need the antibodies in the pregnant person to go across the placenta to protect the newborn," Chin-Hong said. It's especially important, Chin-Hong and others say, because infants under 6 months of age can't be vaccinated against COVID-19, and they have as high a risk of severe complications as do seniors age 65 and over. There are some questions that don't have immediate answers. Will some vaccine providers start requiring doctor's notes in order for healthy children and healthy pregnant women to get vaccinated? Will it be harder for children and pregnant women to get vaccinated at a pharmacy? In a statement, CVS Pharmacy said it "follows federal guidance and state law regarding vaccine administration and are monitoring any changes that the government may make regarding vaccine eligibility." The insurer Aetna, which is owned by CVS, is also monitoring any changes federal officials make to COVID-19 vaccine eligibility "and will evaluate whether coverage adjustments are needed." Blue Shield of California said it will not change its practices on covering COVID-19 vaccines. "Despite the recent federal policy change on COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women, Blue Shield of California will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccines for all eligible members," the insurer said in a statement. "The decision on whether to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is between our member and their provider. Blue Shield does not require prior authorization for COVID-19 vaccines." Under California law, health plans regulated by the state Department of Managed Health Care must cover COVID-19 vaccines without requiring prior authorization, the agency said Friday. "If consumers access these services from a provider in their health plan's network, they will not need to pay anything for these services," the statement said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
B.C. hospital closing pediatric unit for 6 weeks
A major hospital in B.C.'s Interior is shutting down its general pediatrics unit for 'at least six weeks' die to a doctor shortage.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Measles concerns growing for Manitoba parents as official says province is seeing outbreak
Social Sharing Parents in Manitoba are growing more concerned as measles cases rise, and for the first time, officials have called what's happening in the province an outbreak. On Wednesday, the province announced 16 new cases of the highly contagious infection since last week, bringing the total for the year to 60 confirmed cases and four probable cases. Of those, 42 cases have been confirmed in May alone, according to provincial health data up to May 17. "We are experiencing an outbreak," provincial medical officer of health Dr. Santina Lee said Wednesday. "We are seeing higher cases than usual, and we are seeing some ongoing community transmission," meaning cases that didn't have any known contact to a case either during travel or in Manitoba. Most cases involve children who are unvaccinated, said Lee, who is also a pediatric infectious disease specialist. Both Alberta and Ontario, which are experiencing larger outbreaks, have reported hospitalizations due to measles. When asked how many of the infections in Manitoba have led to hospitalization, Lee cited privacy concerns and pointed to the province's relatively low case count. "We have been fortunate so far that the majority of cases have not really required a higher level of medical care," she said. However, she cautioned that Manitoba will likely experience more severe cases as the infection number rises. The province may change how it provides information, and what that includes, as it monitors the situation, Lee said. 'I'm really scared': mom When Samantha Joyce went out Tuesday to buy groceries, she went out without her three-month-old baby. She's worried about exposing her daughter to illnesses, including measles, she said. "I don't want her to get sick. I'm really scared about that," the first-time mother from Lockport said outside a supermarket on Winnipeg's Regent Avenue. Canada's immunization guide recommends children get their first dose of a measles-containing vaccine when they're between 12 and 15 months old, unless they're travelling to an area that's experiencing outbreaks, in which case they can be immunized as early as six months. At three months, Joyce's baby isn't old enough to be vaccinated. "I am a little anxious," she said. "I really want to get it done as soon as possible, and it does make me a little wary about bringing her out and being around other people." Joyce, who lives in the Interlake-Eastern health region, has found the province's list of exposure sites helpful, but plans to avoid certain social gatherings and keep her daughter at home until she's eligible for a vaccine. As of last week, the province expanded vaccine eligibility to six- to 12-month-old babies in the Interlake-Eastern and Southern Health regions, where most cases and exposures have been located. Chelsey Winston's nine-month-old daughter can't get immunized yet, because she lives in the Winnipeg health region. However, she plans to speak with their pediatrician next week about an early vaccination. "It's just a concern, because you never know how you're going to be exposed," said Winston, who is also a nurse. "It's just another fear of that, of like, who would have it? Who doesn't have it? Are they showing symptoms?" She hopes to see changes to eligibility across the province soon. "It's scary, because … just in May, we've had such an increase. So what is next month going to look like?" Winston said. "I feel like we might be a little bit more isolated to just certain different play groups or going … to the lake, just to have her separated from that, so she can still enjoy summer." Province not expanding eligibility — yet Dr. Lee acknowledged the concern and fear new parents may be feeling during the measles outbreak. Babies under about 12 months may have some immunity through their mothers if they were previously infected with measles or were fully vaccinated against it, she said. Parents choosing to have their six- to 12-month-old children immunized against measles should still make sure they are vaccinated with the two routine vaccines at 12 to 15 months, and at age four and six, Lee said. The first and second doses must be separated by at least four weeks. She said getting an early measles vaccine for six- to 12-month-old babies is safe but isn't routine, because waiting until the child's first birthday offers more long-lasting immunity. For now, the province isn't expanding vaccine eligibility to other health regions. "We're watching the situation really carefully," said Lee. "Right now, we aren't planning to expand that across the province, but that might be the situation later down the road, so it really depends on where cases are and what spread is looking like." There are also considerations around vaccine supply and uptake, "so right now, we are focusing on where the highest risk and highest needs are," she said. The province expects to see more new cases as community spread continues, and because vaccine uptake in some communities "is not as high as needed," Lee wrote in a statement Wednesday afternoon. Manitoba parents alarmed as community transmission drives up measles cases 2 minutes ago Duration 2:29 As the number of measles cases in Manitoba climbs, the province says the majority of infections involve children who are unvaccinated. Most cases haven't required intensive medical care, officials say.
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
To Save A Child's Life: Dr. Loughlin's Story
What is it like to tell two parents that their child won't live to see their 12th birthday? It's a question nobody wants to know the answer to, and yet is a challenge pediatricians face every day. Recently, after one of his close family members got diagnosed with a brain tumor at just eight-years-old (one that is, thankfully, noncancerous), Ben was struck by the child's bravery–as well as the calm strength of the pediatricians, who shoulder immense responsibility and yet possess unwavering positivity. Today, Dr. Jerry Loughlin, a renowned expert in pediatric respiratory diseases, joins Ben to share how pediatricians develop these resilient qualities — especially when tasked with delivering devastating news or losing a patient. Follow Benjamin on X: @BenjaminHallFNC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Northwestern develops biomedical device to monitor breastfeeding
Northwestern has unveiled a new biomedical device to help new parents track breastfeeding and ensure their baby is getting enough to eat. The device was developed by a team of engineers, neonatologists and pediatricians at Northwestern University. It wraps around the nursing mother's breast and transmits data wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet app, where mom can then view a live display of how much milk her baby has consumed in real time. The developers noted that new parents often experience anxiety around whether their baby is eating enough, especially in the first days and weeks after birth. The device is meant to provide them with peace of mind, and could have particular benefits for fragile babies in the NICU who have specific nutritional needs and markers to hit.
