AAP diverges from US vaccine guidance after decades

Industry Insights from Next Move Strategy Consulting

For the first time in three decades, the American Academy of Pediatrics is taking a significant departure from U.S. government vaccine guidelines.

AAP Issues New COVID-19 Guidance Amid Shifting Public Health Landscape

The group’s new COVID-19 recommendations — released Tuesday — come amid a turbulent year for public health, as vaccine skeptics gain influence within federal decision-making and government guidance grows increasingly unclear.

AAP Stresses Vaccination for Young Children and High-Risk Groups

Children between 6 months and 2 years face a heightened risk of severe illness from COVID-19, making it essential to prioritize vaccination for this age group, said Campbell, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Maryland.

The AAP also recommends vaccinations for older children with chronic lung conditions or other health issues that increase their vulnerability to severe disease.

Founded 95 years ago and based in Itasca, Illinois, the organization has been issuing vaccination guidance for children since the 1930s. In 1995, it aligned its recommendations with those of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Shifts in Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for Children and Pregnant Women

In May, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 vaccines would no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. Shortly after, the CDC clarified that while healthy children may still receive the shots, the recommendation was no longer framed as a definitive “should.”

The notion that healthy older children might not need COVID-19 boosters has been gaining traction among public health experts. With the pandemic subsiding, many have increasingly suggested concentrating vaccination efforts on individuals aged 65 and older — a group at the highest risk for hospitalization and death.

Kennedy Restructures Vaccine Advisory Panel, Excludes Major Medical Groups

In June, a CDC expert panel was scheduled to issue recommendations on fall COVID-19 shots, including whether to prioritize high-risk groups while leaving vaccination optional for lower-risk individuals.

However, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bypassed the process, dismissing the 17-member panel and replacing it with a smaller group that included vaccine skeptics. He also excluded leading organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Medical Association (AMA) from collaborating on vaccination guidance.

Kennedy’s newly formed panel has not yet voted on recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines.

New Panel Limits Flu Vaccine Options, AAP Pushes Back

The newly formed advisory panel voted that flu vaccines should only be administered in single-dose packaging without the preservative thimerosal.

In contrast, the AAP stated there is no evidence that thimerosal causes harm and advised physicians to use any licensed flu vaccine that is appropriate for their patients.

Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/ 

Prepared by: Next Move Strategy Consulting