American Academy of Pediatrics Breaks with RFK Jr., CDC on COVID Vaccines for Kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued new COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children, strongly recommending vaccination for those aged 6 months to 2 years, and recommending vaccination for older children at the discretion of parents and in consultation with physicians123.

This marks a rare public split from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose latest guidance does not recommend COVID-19 shots for healthy children of any age135.

The CDC now adopts a 'shared clinical decision making' approach:
pediatric COVID vaccination is a choice for parents in collaboration with their pediatrician, rather than a blanket recommendation3.

The AAP's updated schedule runs counter to recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) moves, which limited access to vaccines mostly to people at high risk or over 652.

The AAP’s recommendations are motivated by its commitment to evidence-based science and the health interests of children, emphasizing the importance of routine childhood immunizations for community health125.

This break reflects growing divisions within public health policy on pediatric COVID vaccines and a broader push among medical organizations to counter rising skepticism and misinformation about vaccinations25.

Sources:

1. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-shot-recommendations-american-academy-of-pediatrics-cdc/

2. https://www.statnews.com/2025/08/19/pediatrician-group-rebuffs-rfk-issues-own-vaccine-recommendations/

3. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/leading-pediatrician-group-recommends-covid-vaccine-infants-toddlers/story?id=124756899

5. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/aap-evidence-backed-immunization-schedule-reflects-break-cdc-advisers