For children, yes, the CDC’s “shared decision-making” guidance preserves the status quo in which Medicaid and U.S. health-insurance companies are legally required to pay for the COVID vaccines. That also means the vaccines will remain available to low-income kids through the federal Vaccines for Children program.

Uncertainty now dominates the COVID vaccine outlook after official recommendations were stripped for a variety of groups.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced more key changes to the CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination. Two health experts answer questions about what the changes mean.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its immunization schedule for children, days after US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that Covid-19 vaccines would be struck from the list of recommended shots for healthy children and pregnant women.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Tuesday that the vaccine would no longer appear on the childhood immunization schedule. C.D.C.’s update counters his policy.

Insurance coverage typically follows federal recommendations, so anyone who is healthy and under 65 is likely to have to pay out of pocket to get the shot ‒ which runs about $200 ‒ if they can get it. It's not clear what insurance companies will do about the new recommendations.