Pediatrician Group Clashes With CDC Over Whether Young Kids Need COVID-19 Shots

For the first time in three decades, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued vaccine recommendations that significantly diverge from those by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The AAP’s 2025 immunization schedule, released Tuesday, recommends that all children ages 6 to 23 months receive a COVID-19 vaccine, unless they have an allergy to the vaccine or its ingredients.

For children ages 2 through 18, the AAP advises a single-dose shot if they:

  • Are at high risk of severe illness
  • Live in long-term care facilities
  • Have never been vaccinated
  • Live with household members who are at high risk
The AAP also emphasized that COVID-19 vaccines should remain available to all children whose parents or guardians want them to be protected.

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