The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has unexpectedly delayed state orders for this year's COVID-19 shots for children through the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, according to Ars Technica. The program provides free vaccines to children who are uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid-eligible, or Indigenous, covering roughly 52% of U.S. children. The Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said only that procurement decisions are not finalized and declined to explain the delay.
For at least 11 states and one territory—including Alaska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington—the hold-up is especially disruptive. These jurisdictions run universal purchase programs that buy vaccines for all children through VFC-linked contracts, so the delay blocks access even for families with private insurance. Former CDC official Demetre Daskalakis told The Guardian that the delay means delays in these states' ability to get vaccines for all children.
The unexplained pause fits with Kennedy's long history of opposing COVID-19 vaccines, which he has falsely called "the deadliest vaccine[s] ever made." Last year he unilaterally revoked recommendations for children and during pregnancy. Current CDC guidance allows healthy children 6 months to 17 years to get the shot only through "shared clinical decision-making," while leading medical groups—including the American Academy of Pediatrics—still strongly recommend vaccination for infants 6 to 23 months, citing high hospitalization rates in that age group.