Leading Pediatric Group Splits with CDC Over Vaccine Recommendations

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 21 August 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The American Academy of Pediatrics is breaking with the CDC for the first time in decades by continuing to recommend Covid-19 shots for infants and young children. By contrast the CDC, under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is no longer recommending the vaccine for healthy kids. Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm joins us to help make sense of the conflicting messages. We’ll also get his thoughts on federal cuts to vaccine research funding, and our readiness for future pandemics. Guests: Dr. Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist; director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:31.4	From KQED.
0:36.9	The From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Mina Kim.
0:51.5	Coming up on forum, the American Academy of Pediatrics is breaking with the
0:55.7	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by continuing to recommend COVID-19 shots for infants and
1:01.3	young children. By contrast, the CDC, under Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy,
1:07.0	is no longer recommending the vaccine for healthy kids. Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm joins us to help make sense of the conflicting messages.
1:16.0	We'll also get his thoughts on federal funding cuts to MRNA vaccine research,
1:20.3	which was vital to the development of the COVID vaccine,
1:23.4	and his thoughts on our readiness for future pandemics.
1:27.2	Join us.
1:33.3	Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim.
1:36.0	When the leading pediatricians Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, broke with the CDC this week in recommending the COVID vaccine for children.
1:45.1	It said all infants and young toddlers should get the COVID vaccine, that two to 18-year-olds
	...

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