00:00The American Academy of Pediatrics is breaking from the CDC with new COVID-19 vaccine guidance
00:06for toddlers. The COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women
00:13has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule.
00:19Tuesday, the AAP released their own recommendation saying children ages six months to 23 months,
00:25including those at high risk, should get a shot to add an extra layer of protection.
00:31Most hospitalized children from 2022 to 2024 were six months or older and had at least one
00:37underlying condition. Fewer than 5% were fully vaccinated. Conditions like chronic lung disease,
00:44heart problems, or weakened immune systems increases the risk of severe illness.
00:49While the AAP has long provided its own recommendations, this time their guidance
00:54differs from the CDC. Federal data show children under two are being hospitalized at rates similar
01:00to adults 50 to 64, with more than half having no underlying conditions. But the CDC no longer
01:06recommends vaccines for healthy children, leaving parents to decide with their doctors.
01:11And I think these recommendations give additional information to those healthcare providers,
01:16but that's really where you'll be able to talk to someone who knows their individual
01:19health status and what the stakes are. Adrian Casalotti from the National Association of County and City
01:26Health officials said local health departments are navigating how to share information.
01:31I think one of the real questions for health departments, because they really focus a lot on
01:36access in particular for those folks who don't have either a medical home or
01:43care or for whom care can be prohibitively expensive, is how does this impact the programs and services
01:55that are available? The new recommendation also has implications for insurance. Casalotti noted that
02:01AAP's advice aligned with the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which helps determine coverage.
02:09allows them to be covered. And then it looks like, you know, for the vast majority of Americans,
02:15it's based on our health insurance status. And so insurers are required to cover certain things,
02:23depending on how they are in the ACIP schedule. The ACIP's 2024 guidance recommends vaccination for
02:29everyone six months and older for the 2024-2025 season. For more on this story, visit san.com or
02:36download the Straight Arrow News mobile app. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey.
Comments