The American Academy of Pediatrics on Tuesday released an evidence-based immunization schedule that, for the first time in 30 years, is not aligned with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unlike the CDC, which under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. no longer recommends routine COVID-19 vaccination for children, the AAP is recommending all children ages 6-23 months should get a 2025-26 COVID shot.
The group said CDC data supports the finding, even if the CDC itself does not.
Data shows COVID-19 hospitalizations for children under the age of 2 are currently comparable to people between the ages of 50-64 years, and are the highest among all pediatric groups.
More than half of children under the age of 2 hospitalized with COVID-19 didn’t have an underlying medical condition.
