FDA Commissioner Marty Makary defended the U.S. federal health agencies recent removal of the COVID-19 vaccine from the recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, saying the decision to get the shot should instead be made with their doctor.
On Sunday, Makary appeared on CBS News’s Face the Nation, where he was pressed by host Margaret Brennan to clarify what the new guidance is after it was announced last week that the COVID vaccine would no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant woman.
Makary repeatedly emphasized that a patient’s decision to get the COVID vaccine should be made with their doctor.
“We believe the recommendation should be with a patient and their doctor. So we’re going to get away from these blanket recommendations in healthy, young Americans,” he said.
Regarding these recommendations, which come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Makary said there is little data to support one for an annual COVID booster for children.
“We don’t see the data there to support a young, healthy child getting a repeat, infinite, annual COVID vaccine. There’s a theory that we should sort of blindly approve the new COVID boosters in young, healthy kids every year in perpetuity. … We’re saying that’s a theory, and we’d like to check in and get some randomized, controlled data,” the FDA commissioner said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Makary also pointed to plummeting COVID vaccination rates in children as another reason why families should instead seek vaccination guidance from their doctors,, not federal agencies.
“We’re not going to push the COVID shot in young, healthy kids without any clinical trial data supporting it. That is a decision between a parent and their doctor. And just so, I don’t know if you know the statistics, but 80 for 88% of American kids, their parents, have said no to the COVID shot last season. So America, the vast majority Americans, are saying no. Maybe they want to see some clinical data as well,” he said.
