Health Officials Urge Kids and Pregnant Women to Get COVID-19 Vaccine as Federal Support Wanes
Wisconsin's state health department still recommends the COVID-19 vaccine, despite discord at the federal level after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said it would no longer be recommended for children and pregnant women.
"The recent changes in (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidance were not made based on new data, evidence or scientific or medical studies, nor was the guidance issued following normal processes," a June 4 news release from the state health department said.
Kennedy, a vocal vaccine critic, announced May 27 in a video on X that the CDC would no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. He did not cite new evidence in doing so. CDC guidance published days later still recommended COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children if their parents and doctors agree, but said the vaccines are no longer recommended during pregnancy.
Get daily updates on the Packers during the season.
Children can contract COVID-19 like any other person, but are less likely to become seriously ill from the virus than adults, though they can still spread it to more vulnerable individuals. Pregnant women, however, are more likely to become seriously ill , which can lead to preterm birth and other problems. Experts say vaccination during pregnancy can safeguard infants after birth because babies depend on maternal antibodies for early immunity.
Federal vaccine recommendations matter not just because the public pays attention to them, but because it can affect which vaccines insurers decide to cover, said Patrick Remington, emeritus professor at UW-Madison's School of Medicine and Public Health.
Given the recommendation from the state, Remington said he's hopeful companies that insure people in Wisconsin will continue covering the COVID-19 vaccine despite the change in federal recommendations. Wisconsin's Medicaid program will continue to cover the vaccine, according to the news release.
Dr. Amy Domeyer, a Madison obstetrician-gynecologist and past chair of the Wisconsin section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said patients have already asked her whether they'll be able to have the vaccine covered by insurance later on. She said the recent change in federal guidance doesn't impact ACOG's own guidance , or what she recommends to her patients.
"We know the COVID vaccine is safe in pregnancy — that research and data has not changed. We know pregnant individuals are at higher risk due to COVID," Domeyer said. "I convey to my patients, 'My goal is for you to have the safest, healthiest pregnancy possible. For that reason, I, as your doctor, recommend the COVID vaccine."
Still, she acknowledged the conflicting information may make it more challenging to discuss with patients, adding another layer of difficulty on top of vaccine hesitancy that already exists. CDC data show about 14% of pregnant women in the U.S. have received the most recent iteration of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which sets recommendations for vaccines in the U.S., is not scheduled to meet until later in June. The group is discussing whether to narrow its recommendation about who should receive COVID-19 booster shots.
There's room for healthy debate about the benefits and risks of the COVID-19 vaccine for certain groups of people, Remington said, because it's part of how science works. But he said that debate should take place among the members of the advisory committee, who are independent medical experts. For Kennedy to bring his personal beliefs about vaccines into his recommendations is unfortunate, Remington said.
"When you see disagreement between the federal government's recommendations and what experts, like at (the state health department) say, sometimes the public throws up their hands and says, 'If they can't agree, I don't believe anything,'" he said.
If someone is confused about the differing recommendations and wants advice on their particular situation, Remington suggested talking with a doctor, who'll be able to consider their personal circumstances when it comes to future doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Less than one in five Wisconsinites have received at least one dose of the most current COVID-19 vaccine, according to data from the state health department . Nearly half of those who have are adults 65 and older.
This story was updated to add new information.
Madeline Heim covers health and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: State health officials urge kids, pregnant women to get COVID-19 vaccine despite federal pullback
Post a Comment