The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are defending how they scaled back influenza vaccine recommendations for children amid a moderately severe flu season.
The CDC, with approval from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on Jan. 5 stopped recommending that all children receive an annual influenza vaccine. It now says that parents should only have their children vaccinated after speaking with health care professionals and taking into account various factors, including the risks and benefits of the shot.
