When it comes to vaccinations for COVID-19, the U.S. stands apart in recommending booster shots for children.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines call for children 6 months and older to get an “updated” COVID-19 vaccine – a tweak in terminology from a “booster” to reflect a new formula for the shots. In contrast, England last year called for boosters for children as young as 6 months if they were in a clinical risk group, while the U.S. stance also has differed from recommendations of European Union members like Germany and France. The World Health Organization additionally considers healthy children between 6 months and 17 years old to be a “low priority” for COVID-19 vaccination.
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Among U.S. public health experts, opinions on COVID-19 boosters for young children are somewhat mixed. For insight on the issue, U.S. News & World Report spoke separately with Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in New York and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and author of the new book, “Tell Me When It's Over: An Insider's Guide to Deciphering Covid Myths and Navigating Our Post-Pandemic World.”
The following interview excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.
Why do you think other countries have not made similar recommendations when it comes to COVID-19 booster shots for children?
Glatt: I think there are different opinions as to the overall public health benefit for vaccinating very young children. While I think we all can agree they would benefit in general from the vaccine, that benefit is not a mortality benefit, and it’s not clear it would be a significant benefit. Is it worth the time,........