This has been a crazy time if you are trying to follow all the recommendations for the covid vaccine. It appears that RFK and the American Academy of Pediatrics are in a war over how many under 2 year olds are going to get jabbed.
Here’s a Rundown of the Timeline
First, on March 27th, RFK put out a video on X embedded below where he says, “I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that as of today the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule,”
Next, on August 18th, the American Academy of Pediatrics put out their guidance that, for the first time in history, differed sharply from the recommendations of the CDC. The AAP is strongly recommending COVID-19 shots for children ages 6 months to 2 years. Shots also are advised for older children if parents want their kids vaccinated.
Next, Dr Paul Offit, the co-inventor or the Rotavirus vaccine, went on PBS Newshour to say RFK is engaging in conspiracy theories and all the evidence points to the idea that the AAP is correct. Everyone should vaccinate their children after 6 months old for Covid-19.
Now, RFK has ended the Emergency Use Authorization for the Covid Vaccine and if you want one, you will need to consult with your doctor. You will no longer be able to get the vaccine from your local pharmacy. RFK has also pulled funding for future mRNA development so there probably won’t be further breakthroughs in this technology.
Moving Forward
This is the kind of thing I wanted to see RFK use the power of the MAHA movement to do. The vaccines are still available to anyone that wants them but with the added step of visiting a doctor, maybe patients will be able to get something closer to informed consent.
Also, this is a move towards keeping vaccines out of the healthy for whom there is very little risk of harm from covid. Even 2 year olds with no underlying conditions have very little to fear from covid and any potential harm from the vaccine is largely unknown.
If you were wondering, the CDC’s 2025 list of underlying medical conditions that increase risk of severe COVID-19 included asthma, cancer, kidney disease, heart conditions, HIV, certain mental health deficiencies, physical inactivity and smoking. Not sure how many 2 year olds have a history of smoking but if you want the vaccine, the list of underlying medical conditions is so broad that virtually anyone can get the vaccine if they want it.
