Doctor explains differing health recommendations for children’s COVID vaccines

AND FIND OUT WHAT’S CAUSING IT. DOCTOR TODD ALLEN IS JOINING US LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM RIGHT NOW. THE ACADEMY, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, DEFYING HEALTH SECRETARY RFK JR. PUTTING OUT GUIDANCE TODAY RECOMMENDING THAT COVID SHOTS FOR YOUNG KIDS. SO LET’S SHOW THE DIFFERING RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE SCREEN AND WE’LL GO FROM THERE. THE CDC SAYS THE COVID SHOT FOR CHILDREN BETWEEN SIX MONTHS AND 17 YEARS SHOULD BE BASED ON SHARED CLINICAL DECISION MAKING, WHILE THE AAP RECOMMENDS COVID 19 VACCINE FOR ALL CHILDREN BETWEEN SIX THROUGH 23 YEARS OLD AFTER THE AGE OF TWO, A SINGLE DOSE IS RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE WITH HIGH RISK OF CONTRACTING SEVERE CASE, SO THE PUBLIC SPLIT BETWEEN THE NATION’S LEADING PEDIATRICIANS AND THE NATION’S TOP HEALTH OFFICIALS IS SIGNIFICANT FOR A LOT OF REASONS. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BIG ONES? ALL RIGHT. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO TAKE, LIKE A DEEP BREATH AND REALIZE THAT THERE’S THE PRINCIPLE OF SIMILARITIES AMIDST DIFFERENCES. SO THERE ARE DIFFERENCES, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES TOO. FIRST, THE DIFFERENCES WITH THE AAP IS SAYING IS THAT CHILDREN SIX MONTHS TO 23 MONTHS, THEY NEED A SHOT EVERY YEAR, WHEREAS THE CDC, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL IS SAYING YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN. OKAY. SO IT SHOULD BE A SHARED DECISION. IS THIS WHAT IT SHOULD BE? SHARED DECISION MAKING. AND AND I DO THINK THAT THAT SIX MONTHS TO 23 MONTHS IS A HIGH RISK GROUP. THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET HOSPITALIZED. THESE KIDS, ALMOST LIKE ADULTS AGE 50 TO 64. IT’S ALSO REMEMBER, WE’RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT BOOSTERS HERE. IT’S AT THE TIME WHEN THEY’RE SO YOUNG THAT THEY GET THEIR PRIMARY SERIES. REMEMBER, THAT’S MULTIPLE SHOTS. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO I DO YOU KNOW, I DO TEND TO AGREE WITH THEM. BUT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES. BOTH GROUPS, CDC AND THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS IS SAYING IF YOU’RE IF YOU’RE A CHILD WITH HIGH RISKS, IMMUNOCOMPROMISED COMORBIDITIES, BOTH GROUPS ARE SAYING YOU NEED AN ANNUAL SHOT. AND THEN FOR THE HEALTHY KIDS THAT ARE NOW TWO YEARS TO 17 YEARS, THEY’RE PRETTY SIMILAR. THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS IS SAYING, IF YOUR PARENT SAYS THAT YOU CAN GET IT, YOU SHOULD GET IT. YOU DON’T REALLY HAVE TO TALK TO US. WHEREAS THE CDC IS AGAIN SAYING INDIVIDUALIZED SHARED DECISION MAKING. I THINK BOTH ARE SIMILAR. BUT REMEMBER, PEDIATRICIANS ARE SUPER BUSY. THEY DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TIME FOR EVERY HEALTHY KID TO SAY, HERE ARE THE RISKS, HERE ARE THE BENEFITS. THEY REALIZE THAT IT’S A VERY SAFE SHOT. SO I DO THINK THERE ARE DIFFERENCES, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING MORE SIMILAR. BUT BUT HERE YOU ARE WITH TWO SETS OF OF RECOMMENDATIONS THIS FALL. ARE YOU WORRIED THAT THAT COULD CREATE EVEN MORE CONFUSION FOR PARENTS? I AM OF COURSE I’M WORRIED. REMEMBER SOMETHING. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN LAST YEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY GOT THE COVID BOOSTER? AND THAT ANSWER IS SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO 10%. SO 90% OF KIDS DIDN’T EVEN. SO I THINK THERE’S A PROBLEM WITH TRUST NOT. AND LAST YEAR WAS WHEN THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS WAS ALIGNED WITH THE CDC. SO NOW THAT THERE’S NOT COMPLETE ALIGNMENT, I DO WORRY THAT THERE’S GOING TO BE EVEN MORE EROSION IN TRUST, MIXED MESSAGES, ETC. AND THIS LEADS DOCTORS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES WITH THE DECISION TO MAKE. THEY CAN EITHER STICK WITH THE CDC OR FOLLOW THE PEDIATRICIANS. SO I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S FAIR TO ASK YOU THIS, BUT WHAT WILL YOU DO? WELL, I’M GOING TO TELL YOU OKAY. AND THE ANSWER IS, AGAIN, I’M GOING TO DO WHAT I ALWAYS DO, WHICH IS GIVE THE BEST ADVICE POSSIBLE. AND A REMINDER THAT FOR MOST CHILDREN, THERE’S PRETTY MUCH AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CDC AND THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS. BUT THERE’S TWO GROUPS OF KIDS THAT I DO WORRY ABOUT. THAT’S THE SIX MONTHS TO 23 MONTHS IN AGE. I AM GOING TO RECOMMEND AN ANNUAL FLU SHOT, AND I HOPE THE INSURANCE COMPANIES CONTINUE TO APPROVE IT AND COVER IT. REMEMBER, THEY SHOULD, BECAUSE THE CDC IS NOT SAYING DON’T GET IT. THEY’RE SAYING SPEAK TO YOUR PROVIDER. THE OTHER THING IS PREGNANT WOMEN WHO ARE CHILDREN, OKAY. THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS IS HIGHLIGHTING THEY’RE AN IMPORTANT GROUP TO GET IT WITH EVERY PREGNANCY. WHEREAS THE CDC IS BASICALLY REMOVED.

Doctor explains differing health recommendations for children’s COVID vaccines

Updated: 5:01 PM EDT Aug 19, 2025

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South Shore Health’s Todd Ellerin says children who are high-risk need an annual COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics have issued differing guidelines on if children should receive the vaccine. The CDC says the decision should be based on shared clinical decision-making, while the AAP says children 6-23 months old should definitely receive the vaccine, including a single dose after the age of 3.

NEEDHAM, Mass. —

South Shore Health’s Todd Ellerin says children who are high-risk need an annual COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics have issued differing guidelines on if children should receive the vaccine.

The CDC says the decision should be based on shared clinical decision-making, while the AAP says children 6-23 months old should definitely receive the vaccine, including a single dose after the age of 3.