Written by Dr. Aisha Harris
Featured photo: Dr. Aisha Harris, courtesy of Dr. Harris
There is not as much public talk about COVID nowadays, but it is still very present. Though there is no pandemic potential, there are many people still getting infected and hospitalized.
Because of the continued health risks and complications associated with the coronavirus infection, the vaccination is recommended for many.
But recently, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), via the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement, stated it did not recommend the vaccination for healthy children and healthy, pregnant patients.
This announcement came as a shock to the medical community and society overall. What do you mean children and pregnant women should not get the vaccine? Was there evidence around this decision, or was it just something the CDC just felt like doing? Needless to say when vaccines are not recommended by the CDC, there is a ripple effect in the realm of health access.
The vaccination rates have decreased overall since the COVID pandemic for a variety of reasons, but there are still great benefits to vaccinations, including that the COVID vaccine decreases hospitalizations and health complications.
So, the decision to not recommend the vaccine to pregnant women is concerning, considering pregnancy is usually seen as a high risk medical experience, with more uncertainties and more fragility.
And there are many protective aspects to getting vaccinated to help those who are immunocompromised, or those with higher risks, to have a decreased chance of getting exposed because their family and friends are vaccinated.
What people do not mention about recommendations is that they have a large impact on insurance coverage. If something is not approved, recommended, or seen as highly necessary, then there is a chance that the insurance company will not pay for the medication or procedure. That can be the case regarding vaccinations.
Vaccinations are not cheap, and many may not be able to afford the market price of trying to be better protected from an infection like COVID.
The CDC’s decision will play out in the coming months as the COVID infections likely start to increase. Like with the flu vaccine, there is improved protection when getting COVID vaccines on a regular basis, especially if you are high risk.
We do not know when, or if, the insurance companies will stop covering the COVID vaccine. We do not know if the CDC will reverse its recommendation of not recommending the vaccine for children and pregnant women. We do not know if people will opt to implement their own shared decision making strategies to decide if they want to go around the recommendation.
But we do know that vaccination recommendations are actively changing right now, and understanding the risks and benefits are even more important at this time. It is always recommended to discuss your vaccination needs, questions and concerns with a medical doctor to best understand what is needed to improve and protect your health.
Dr. Aisha Harris, MD, is a Flint native and board-certified family medicine doctor at Harris Family Health in Flint, Michigan. Harris Family Health is a membership-based clinic that provides personalized and full primary care to adults and children. Learn more about Harris Family Health by visiting www.harrisfamilyhealth.com.
Feel free to submit health questions to Dr. Harris via theflintcouriernews@gmail.com.
