CDC advises ‘shared decision-making’ for children’s COVID shots

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its childhood immunization schedule to state that parents and their health care providers should decide whether to vaccinate for COVID-19 children ages six months to 17 years who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised. The move towards “shared clinical decision-making” follows Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement that the CDC would no longer recommend COVID-19 shots for children and pregnant women. In emphasizing shared decision-making, the CDC appears to be ensuring health insurers still will be required to cover COVID-19 shots for healthy children. (MedPage Today article, 5/30/25)