[6 min read]
In this article:
- Several medical organizations are suing the U.S. government about recent changes in policy around COVID-19 vaccination schedules for young children and pregnant people.
- The organizations consider the changes particuarly dangerous for pregnant women, new mothers and their infants, and those with compromised immune systems.
- A Providence Swedish pediatric infectious disease expert explains the controversy, why medical professionals are worried about the guidance changes, and why it's important for parents to talk with their physicians about family health care decisions.
In early July, a group of leading medical organizations filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) alleging that recent changes to federal recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations for women and children violate federal law around vaccine decision making and recommendations.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Public Health Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance. The suit characterizes the recent decisions by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to remove pregnant women and healthy children from the COVID-19 vaccine schedule as arbitrary and dangerously compromising public trust in doctors and the way health recommendations — specifically vaccine recommendations — are made.
To learn more about this controversy, how vaccine recommendations are made and the best vaccine practices to protect yourself and your family, we spoke with Frank Bell, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease expert at Providence Swedish. Dr. Bell is also a clinical associate professor at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and Vice President of the Washington Chapter the American Academy of Pediatrics.
What is the original vaccine guidance and what was the change that sparked this controversy?
Until now, COVID-19 vaccination recommendations have included children ages six months and older and pregnant women, as both these groups are especially vulnerable. The guidance for pregnant women is meant to protect them and their young infants who can be at risk for severe illness, particularly until they are old enough to receive protective COVID and other vaccinations.
In May, Secretary Kennedy announced on social media that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would stop recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for these groups. This set off alarms in the pediatric and infectious disease community. Until now, these decisions have been guided by a panel of medical experts who consider all kinds of data, including past studies, ongoing trials, the incidence of side effects and mortality rates. This was not the case here.
I think that there was a sense that vaccination policy in general is under attack. In addition to the recent decisions around COVID vaccines, there were worrying decisions around flu vaccines. (In June, a panel newly appointed by Health Secretary Kennedy rolled back recommendations for flu vaccines containing thimerosal, a preservative that has been falsely linked to autism.) The insinuations about measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B vaccines are also very concerning. The organizations that are part of this litigation are part of it not because we think litigation is the way to answer these science and medicine questions, but we see it as a way to halt a destructive policy knowing that if we don’t object now, we’ll see more of these decisions that are ultimately harmful to our patients and public health in general.
What are some of your major concerns as a pediatrics physician specializing in infectious diseases?
There is a central focus in immunizations for sure, but it’s also important for physicians and practitioners who look after patients of all ages. At this point, the normal measures which we've relied upon for more than six decades have been turned on their head.
No longer do we have a thoughtful, deliberate process in which scientists of all walks of life — including clinicians, vaccinologists, immunologists and public health experts — come together for a series of considered, careful, in-depth discussions to review the best data and make policy recommendations. That process was replaced with a new advisory committee of just a handful of people, many without much experience of vaccine policy or background in immunization in general. We no longer have a careful, thoughtful process in which professionals with expertise and influence were asked to weigh in.
These are policies that are driven by fear, not thoughtful discussion and taking our time to review evidence. It seems like the rationale behind this is to sow fear and distrust. All the public will hear is that the multi-dose flu vaccines are not available because they have mercury in them. The fact is that these multi-dose vaccines have been used for a tiny proportion of vaccine doses in the U.S., less than 5%, and most of them are not given to young children. We have considered the use of thimerosal for years and the link to autism has been thoroughly debunked.
What are you advising your patients and other patients who may be concerned about these developments?
Parents need to talk to the people they trust, whether that's their own pediatrician or primary care physicians. Talk to practitioners in family medicine and especially practitioners with whom they have established a relationship.
We want to do what is best for children in terms of protecting them from respiratory viruses, because September will be here before we know it. This is the time to think about getting kids in for their vaccinations, so they're protected for the fall and ready to go back to school.
Parents should also know that the governors of Washington state, Oregon and California too have committed themselves to the old recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, which is to continue to recommend vaccines for infants over six months and pregnant persons to minimize their chances of giving their babies COVID-19 and/or the flu. Pregnancy is also a really important time when pregnant people make antibodies and pass them on to their babies. Pregnancy is also a time of increased risk for mothers with respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Vaccination not only protects mothers but is an important part of protection for babies in those first few months of life when infants are too young to be immunized because they haven’t developed a sophisticated immune system.
We believe strongly that vaccination is the right thing to do and it’s frustrating that these decisions have left parents to decide what to do. Physicians know that parents want a clear recommendation they can trust. They don’t want barriers to getting their children protected. We know that vaccines have saved countless lives and will continue to do so if we let informed experts make the critical decisions about their availability and how they should be administered.
Learn more and find a physician or advanced practice clinician (APC)
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s wellness, Swedish Pediatrics can help. Call today to schedule a visit.
You can also contact Swedish Primary Care to schedule an appointment with a primary care physician or advanced practice clinician. If you or a child have an illness, you can connect virtually with a member of your care team who can review the symptoms and provide instruction and follow up as needed.
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This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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