Now that the ’25-’26 school year is underway, parents are facing conflicting messages about COVID-19 vaccinations for children. Changes under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have moved pediatric COVID vaccines to a “shared clinical decision-making” model, while the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) continues to strongly recommend vaccination for children 6 to 23 months and older high-risk children.

At the same time, children still need their regular school vaccines, making decisions confusing for families.

In late August, the FDA approved three COVID-19 vaccines—Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty, Moderna’s Spikevax and Mnexspike and Novavax’s Nuvaxovid—for adults 65 and older and younger individuals with at least one high-risk condition. Approval letters require mu

See Full Page