Revised COVID-19 Vaccination Guidelines in the U.S.: Exploring the Potential Impact on Individuals
Health officials have withdrawn longstanding recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women, according to a post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday.
The department said in its statement that the COVID-19 vaccination schedule is clear and that the vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women or healthy children. In formal documents, officials provide "no guidance" on whether pregnant women should receive the vaccine, and they encourage parents to consult with their healthcare providers before getting their children vaccinated.
The decision to remove the vaccination recommendation was made in a way that is expected to require insurers to continue covering COVID-19 vaccines for children if their parents choose to get them. The new vaccine guidelines were posted to the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late Thursday.
It is unclear whether insurers will still be required to cover vaccinations for pregnant women under federal law. The decision came amid criticism from officials at the nation's leading organizations for pediatricians and obstetricians, who said there is no new evidence to support removing the recommendation that healthy pregnant women and healthy children should get the COVID vaccine.
Dr. Steven Fleischman, the president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said earlier in the week that the science has not changed, and that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy and protects both the mother-to-be and their infants after birth. Dr. Susan Kressly, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, criticized the recommendation change as being brought forward in a "confusing" manner, with "no explanation of the evidence used to reach their conclusions."
Some experts said the Trump administration should have waited to hear recommendations from a committee of doctors and scientists that typically advises the CDC on immunization recommendations. The meeting of that committee is set for late June.
The California Department of Public Health on Thursday said it supports the longstanding recommendation that COVID-19 vaccines be available for all persons aged 6 months and older who wish to be vaccinated.
The changes come as the CDC has faced an exodus of senior leaders and has lacked an acting director. In the past, it is the CDC director who makes final decisions on vaccine recommendations, typically accepting the consensus viewpoint of the CDC's panel of doctors and scientists serving on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
According to the CDC, previous guidance for healthy children was simple: everyone ages 6 months and up should get an updated COVID vaccination. As of Thursday, the CDC now says that for healthy children, decisions about COVID vaccination should come from "shared clinical decision-making," which is "informed by a decision process between the healthcare provider and the patient or parent/guardian."
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco, said he would have preferred the CDC to retain its broader recommendation that everyone age 6 months and up get the updated vaccine. "It's simpler," he said. He also noted that there is no new data suggesting children should not be getting the updated COVID vaccine.
The decision to drop the vaccination recommendation for pregnant women has been criticized by some experts as "wrong." Pregnancy brings with it a compromised immune system, and pregnant women are at a high risk of getting more severe COVID infections. Dr. Chin-Hong said that getting vaccinated protects both the pregnant woman and her unborn child.
Despite the changes, vaccination rates were relatively low for children and pregnant women as of late April, according to the CDC. As many as 50,000 COVID deaths and between 270,000 and 430,000 COVID hospitalizations have occurred since October, the CDC estimates.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has withdrawn longstanding recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women, as stated in a recent post.
- The department's new vaccine guidelines, which were posted late Thursday, do not recommend the vaccine for pregnant women or healthy children and provide no guidance for the former.
- The changes in recommendations were made under policy-and-legislation that requires insurers to continue covering COVID-19 vaccines for children, but there is uncertainty about coverage for pregnant women.
- Some experts believe the Trump administration should have waited for recommendations from a committee of doctors and scientists advising the CDC on immunization.
- California's Department of Public Health supports the longstanding recommendation that COVID-19 vaccines be available for all persons aged 6 months and older who wish to be vaccinated.
- The decision to drop the vaccination recommendation for pregnant women has been criticized by some experts, as a compromised immune system during pregnancy puts women at a high risk for severe COVID infections.
