Sept 16 (Reuters) – U.S. states are facing delays in obtaining COVID-19 vaccines for children through a federal immunization program, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not started accepting orders for COVID-19 shots, according to the report.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The holdup comes as the Trump administration scales back vaccine guidance. The CDC no longer recommends that all children get a COVID shot and is instead urging parents to consult their doctors.
A federal judge earlier this year blocked the administration from enacting a narrower vaccine schedule.
Vaccine hesitancy is rising nationwide, and measles outbreaks are spreading, with four measles-related deaths being reported in Pennsylvania earlier on Tuesday.
Demand for COVID booster shots has already fallen sharply, and fewer than 10% of children aged six months to 17 were vaccinated last year, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing CDC data.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru)
