COVID-19 vaccines for kids are mired in uncertainty amid conflicting federal guidance

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…