By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 For the first time in 30 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued vaccine recommendations that differ from U.S. government guidelines.<\/p>\n
In new guidance<\/a> released Tuesday, the AAP strongly recommends COVID-19<\/a> vaccines for children between 6 months and 2 years of age. For older children, shots are also advised but ultimately left to parents\u2019 discretion.<\/p>\n That contradicts recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).<\/p>\n Under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a>, the CDC does not recommend COVID shots for healthy children of any age but says families may choose to get the vaccine after consulting with a doctor, CBS News <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a>, AAP President Dr. Susan Kressly<\/a> said “the AAP will continue to provide recommendations for immunizations that are rooted in science and are in the best interest of the health of infants, children and adolescents.”<\/p>\n She added: \u201cPediatricians know how important routine childhood immunizations are in keeping children, families and their communities healthy and thriving.\u201d<\/p>\n However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has some concerns.<\/p>\n In a statement to CBS News<\/em>, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon<\/a> said the American people \u201cdeserve confidence that medical recommendations are based solely on science and public health.\u201d<\/p>\n He made a direct appeal to the pediatricians\u2019 group.<\/p>\n “We call on the AAP to strengthen conflict-of-interest safeguards and keep its publications free from financial influence, ensuring every recommendation reflects only the best interests of America’s children,” Nixon added.<\/p>\n Dr. C\u00e9line Gounder<\/a>, CBS News<\/em> medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News<\/em>, urged parents to stay on top of routine vaccinations.<\/p>\n “Parents should really stick the course and make sure that their children get all of the routine childhood vaccinations,” Gounder said.<\/p>\n She added that the AAP\u2019s new COVID advice mostly reaffirms what it has said in the past.<\/p>\n “The first encounter with COVID should be with the shot, not with the virus,” Gounder said. “There is still a very high risk in younger children, particularly 6 months to 2 years, for hospitalization and severe complications if they get COVID.”<\/p>\n The AAP also updated its guidance for RSV<\/a> and flu vaccines, CBS News <\/em>reported. It recommends:<\/p>\n RSV:<\/strong> Infants younger than 8 months should get an RSV immunization unless protected because their parent was vaccinated during pregnancy. Children ages 8 to 19 months at high risk for severe illness should also get vaccinated.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Flu:<\/strong> Annual flu vaccines are recommended for all children 6 months and older, unless there\u2019s a medical reason not to get the shot.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID vaccines<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n