Pediatricians Group Backs Covid Shots for Infants, Defies Federal Guidance

The American Academy of Pediatrics on Tuesday released its annual childhood immunization schedule recommending Covid-19 vaccination for all children between six and 23 months old and for children aged two and older who are at high risk of severe disease. The guidance is part of broader recommendations that also cover influenza and respiratory syncytial virus shots. The move breaks with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently shifted to a “shared clinical decision-making” model and stopped endorsing routine Covid vaccination for healthy children. The Food and Drug Administration has likewise narrowed its focus to older and medically vulnerable populations while calling for new randomized data before approving future boosters for younger, healthy groups. A split between the nation’s largest pediatric society and federal health agencies is unusual and could leave doctors and parents navigating conflicting advice. Insurers and the federally funded Vaccines for Children program typically follow CDC guidance, raising questions about coverage for shots that the academy says remain critical for infants at the highest risk of serious illness.