The American Academy of Pediatrics released new COVID vaccination guidelines that strongly recommend the shots for all children between 6 months and 2 years of age.
For the first time in 30 years, the Academy’s guidance differs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is no longer recommending the COVID vaccine for healthy, young children.
The goal of the vaccine is to keep people out of the hospital, and keep them out of intensive care, Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said.
While people over 65, those with high-risk medical conditions like chronic lung or heart disease, people who are immune compromised, and women who are pregnant are in the highest risk situations.
Nationwide, 152 children died of COVID last year, half of whom were previously healthy, Offit said.
Thousands of children were hospitalized with COVID last year, most of whom were unvaccinated, and about one-fifth or 20% of those hospitalized were admitted to the intensive care unit, according to the CDC’s data.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children who have not been vaccinated and have not been naturally infected, receive a vaccine,” Offit said. “That comports with the data.”
The Academy has been working with insurance companies to make sure that they, too, follow the science, and continue to cover vaccination, Offit said.
“I’m optimistic that insurance companies will back this up because, frankly, it’s a lot less expensive to pay for a vaccine than to pay a hospitalization,” he said.
GPB’s Health Reporting is supported by Georgia Health Initiative
Georgia Health Initiative is a non-partisan, private foundation advancing innovative ideas to help improve the health of Georgians. Learn more at georgiahealthinitiative.org
