CDC resumes COVID-19 vaccine orders for children amid renewed focus on infant vulnerability and vaccine supply challenges

The CDC has reopened COVID-19 vaccine orders through the Vaccines for Children programme, addressing supply delays that threaten paediatric immunisations. With calls from the American Academy of Pediatrics for broader vaccine access, concerns remain over the vulnerability of infants and the impact of supply disruptions on childhood immunisation efforts.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has reopened ordering for COVID-19 vaccines through the Vaccines for Children programme, easing a delay that had left some paediatric practices uncertain about supply. The move matters for families with children who rely on the federal programme, particularly because the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all children aged six to 23 months without a contraindication, as well as for higher-risk children aged two to 18 years, and says the vaccine should also be available to any child whose parent wants protection.

The AAP has pointed to CDC data showing that, during the 2025-26 season, the cumulative hospitalisation rate for infants aged six to 11 months was similar to that of adults aged 65 to 74 years. The academy has also said that about 42% of children aged six to 23 months who were hospitalised with COVID-19 between October 2022 and April 2024 had an underlying condition. That context has sharpened concern among paediatricians who argue that younger children remain vulnerable even as public attention has shifted elsewhere.

The reopening follows a separate period of disruption in which flu vaccine deliveries for VFC patients were also reported as delayed or limited in some states, despite ordering being open. Jason Yaun, a paediatrician in Memphis, Tennessee, told AAP that his clinic received its flu stock roughly two weeks later than usual and in smaller quantities than expected, forcing staff to turn families away and reschedule early September appointments. He said the inconsistency makes it harder to stage large immunisation drives and could leave some children, especially those needing two doses, unable to finish vaccination by the end of October.

Cost is another concern. Gretchen Garofoli, a clinical professor at the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, said that if VFC did not cover COVID-19 vaccines and certain paediatric flu shots, many children in the programme would go without them. She said some families would forgo vaccination if they had to pay out of pocket, and warned that lower uptake could mean more community spread and more missed school and work days. Garofoli urged policymakers to keep coverage in place and said those working with families should be ready to connect parents with help for health-care related costs.