Following changes in federal policy, pediatricians in Maine report that worried parents are rushing to make sure they have access to kid immunizations.
The statement by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior that the Covid vaccine would no longer be advised for healthy children and pregnant women is partly to blame for those worries, according to Dr. Laura Blaisdell, immediate past president of the Maine American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Parents are coming in, they want to have their well visit as soon as possible, as soon as their child is age-eligible,” said Blaisdell. “They’re asking more about their vaccine schedules and how they can accelerate their vaccine schedules to be as safe as possible but as early as possible.”
According to Blaisdell, some parents are also concerned about the expense. Generally speaking, only nationally recommended immunizations must be covered at no cost by Medicaid, also known as MaineCare in the state, or private health insurance.
According to her, pediatricians are trying to guarantee vaccine availability on a local and national basis.
Blaisdell continues by saying that some parents who have been wary of vaccinations have had their opinions reinforced by the Trump administration’s vaccination practices.
