American Academy of Pediatrics Faces Backlash Over COVID Vaccine Recommendations

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the nation’s largest pediatrics association, has drawn sharp criticism for recommending COVID-19 vaccines for infants and young children, despite conflicting guidance from federal health officials. On Tuesday, the AAP released its updated immunization schedule, advising COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 6 months to 2 years, claiming they are at high risk for severe COVID-19. However, this recommendation directly opposes the decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the CDC to remove COVID-19 shots for healthy children and pregnant women from their official guidelines due to insufficient clinical data. Kennedy, along with National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, emphasized in May that the lack of evidence to justify continued recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines in healthy children and pregnant women was a key factor in their decision. The AAP’s stance has further fueled debates over the politicization of medical guidelines, with critics accusing the organization of prioritizing ideology over science. The AAP’s history of advancing controversial policies, such as advocating for abortion rights without parental consent and supporting gender transition interventions for minors, has further raised concerns about its credibility. Last year, 20 state attorneys general launched investigations into the AAP’s practices due to its promotion of medically unproven claims regarding transgender youth. Critics argue that the AAP’s latest recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines in young children reflects a broader pattern of prioritizing leftist political agendas over scientific evidence and patient safety.

Published: 8/20/2025