Flu shot recommendation for children dropped amid a severe season

The CDC has moved the routine pediatric flu vaccine recommendation to a shared clinical decision-making approach, and this change follows an earlier HHS shift on childhood COVID shots. The adjustment comes as the U.S. is seeing high levels of flu illness and increased pediatric hospital visits.

The CDC recently changed its guidance so that routine flu vaccination for children is now framed as a shared clinical decision between parents and health care providers. That shift followed a prior decision by Health and Human Services to remove a routine recommendation for COVID shots in children. Pediatricians report that the new guidance affects how they organize vaccination clinics and how they discuss vaccines with families. The change arrives while flu activity and pediatric hospital visits are reported to be elevated. Key facts: - The CDC announced that the pediatric flu vaccine recommendation will be handled through "shared clinical decision-making." - HHS earlier removed the routine recommendation for childhood COVID-19 vaccination. - Some pediatricians say mass or drive-thru vaccination clinics have stopped because the new approach requires individual conversations about each child. - Public health experts and pediatric groups have expressed concern as the season shows high flu activity and increased pediatric hospitalizations and deaths. Summary: The change in federal guidance has prompted debate among clinicians, legal experts and public-health officials about how vaccinations are offered and communicated. Undetermined at this time.