Medical groups offer vaccine guidance to fill federal vacuum

Major medical organizations have issued independent vaccine guidance for COVID-19, flu, and RSV to address a perceived vacuum in federal recommendations. These groups are advocating for broader immunization coverage than the current federal guidelines suggest.
Why it matters
The divergence between professional medical bodies and federal health policy creates confusion for the public regarding vaccine efficacy and necessity.
The latest COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccines remain very safe and highly effective for protecting people against severe complications from the potentially life-threatening respiratory viruses, according to independent analyses released Wednesday.
As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Family Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America simultaneously issued guidelines recommending Americans continue to get immunized.
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The advice aims to fill the void created by the failure of the administration to issue updated recommendations for how Americans should use the vaccines to best protect themselves against these respiratory illnesses.
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