The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued new guidance that recommends that children under the age of two receive the COVID-19 vaccine, despite the Trump administration’s shift away from such recommendations.
According to the AAP’s updated vaccine schedule, children between 6 and 23 months should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, while children between the ages of 2 and 18 “should be offered a single dose of age-appropriate COVID-19 vaccine.” Similarly, the AAP asserted in its policy statement for the COVID-19 vaccine that children 6 months through 18 years of age who are “moderately or severely immunocompromised require 2 or more doses of age-appropriate 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine depending on previous vaccination status.”
The AAP’s push for the COVID-19 vaccine opposes guidance implemented by the Trump administration. In May, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. celebrated the removal of the inoculation from the CDC’s recommendations for healthy children and healthy pregnant women.
“Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another COVID shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children,” Kennedy said.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary added, “There’s no evidence healthy kids need it today, and most countries have stopped recommending it for children.”
The organization’s immunization schedule comes as the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary revived the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines.
“By reinstating this Task Force, we are reaffirming our commitment to rigorous science, continuous improvement, and the trust of American families,” National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya said upon announcing the task force’s reinstatement. “NIH is proud to lead this effort to advance vaccine safety and support innovation that protects children without compromise.”
