There’s a delay in COVID-19 vaccines for children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not made the newest COVID-19 vaccines available through the Vaccines for Children program.
The program provides free shots to uninsured children in the United States. About half of the nation’s children qualify.
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The delay comes three weeks after the Food and Drug Administration approved the latest COVID-19 vaccines for this year’s respiratory virus season.
The Department of Health and Human Services said the information will be released soon.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said it still recommends annual COVID-19 vaccines for young children and older children at high risk.
All children ages 6 to 23 months without a contraindication should receive the 2026-27 COVID-19 vaccine, the group said. It also said older children should get the shot if they are at high risk for severe COVID-19.
The AAP said children of all ages should be offered a vaccine if their parents want protection against the virus.
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“The data still validate that in certain underlying conditions, and definitely in immunocompromised individuals, there’s a higher risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death,” Dr. Robert DeBiasi, who led the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases COVID-19 subgroup, said.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved several vaccines for the 2026-27 season. The CDC has not yet provided guidance on who should receive the shots.
