The CDC now says healthy kids dont need COVID shots. Is that true?

Published: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 3:15 pm

CDC Reverses Course: Healthy Kids No Longer Recommended for Routine COVID-19 Shots

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made a significant shift in its COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, now advising against routine COVID-19 shots for healthy children. This change, announced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday, marks a departure from the previous stance of suggesting annual vaccinations for everyone aged six months and older. The decision is based on a perceived lack of sufficient data supporting the need for vaccines in healthy children.

The CDC's updated guidance acknowledges that while many children experience mild COVID-19 symptoms, some can become seriously ill, and in rare cases, even die. Furthermore, over a million U.S. children have developed long COVID. This discrepancy fuels ongoing debate among medical researchers regarding the level of risk COVID-19 poses to children and the necessity of annual vaccinations.

While the initial course of COVID-19 vaccinations provided significant protection against severe illness in children, the debate centers on the need for annual boosters. Some experts, like Dr. Michael Mina, suggest that children's immune systems retain vaccine memory longer than adults, potentially reducing the need for yearly shots. Additionally, a large portion of children in the U.S. already possess some level of protection from prior infections or vaccinations.

Conversely, proponents of annual vaccinations emphasize that protection from vaccines and infections diminishes over time, particularly with the emergence of new variants. They also point to emerging evidence suggesting that vaccination may offer protection against long COVID, although this area of research is still developing.

BNN's Perspective: The CDC's decision reflects a nuanced understanding of the evolving COVID-19 landscape. While the initial vaccines were crucial, the shift acknowledges the changing risk profile for healthy children. This move seems to strike a balance, recognizing the potential benefits of vaccination while also considering the potential for over-vaccination, especially given the current level of immunity within the population. It's a pragmatic approach that prioritizes individual risk assessment and ongoing scientific evaluation.

Keywords: CDC, COVID-19, vaccines, children, healthy kids, vaccination recommendations, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., long COVID, annual shots, boosters, immunity, variants, CDC guidelines, pediatric health, vaccine effectiveness, public health, medical research, health policy.

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