It’s August, and parents and caregivers are frantically preparing their kids for a new school year by buying supplies, filling out forms and meeting teachers. This year, many parents also face a question that’s more complicated than usual: Should my child get an updated COVID-19 vaccine, and will I even have that choice? For some, that decision may have already been made by chaotic federal policy, just as COVID-19 cases are rising nationwide.
As a pediatrician and researcher who studies vaccine delivery and health policy, I am hearing uncertainty from both parents and health care providers. If that describes you, you are not alone. A poll published Aug. 1, 2025, by the health policy organization KFF found half of parents are unsure whether federal health agencies are recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children this fall.
