Senate Democrats Question Delay in COVID-19 Vaccine Access for Low-Income Children

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with Senators Edward Markey and Bernie Sanders, sent a letter to CDC Director Erica Schwartz and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding an explanation for why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention waited nearly a month after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval before opening the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program to state orders. The FDA had approved the pediatric COVID-19 shots in late August, and they became available in most retail pharmacies shortly thereafter. In a typical year, states can place orders within two weeks of commercial availability, but the CDC did not begin accepting orders until late September, leaving providers unable to receive shipments for weeks.

The Hill

The VFC program provides free immunizations to more than half of U.S. children, including those covered by Medicaid, the uninsured or underinsured, and Native American and Alaska Native populations. Senators argue that the delay follows a broader pattern of decisions by the current administration that they say undermine confidence in vaccines. The letter also references prior actions by Kennedy, who in May 2025 announced that the CDC would no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccination for healthy children or pregnant women, and a recent executive order signed by former President Trump that split the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine into separate shots without scientific justification.

The Hill

HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard told The Hill that the agency has no set deadlines for procuring COVID-19 vaccines because the virus’s activity is unpredictable and does not follow a seasonal pattern like influenza. She emphasized that HHS and the CDC are responsible for ensuring that taxpayer-funded vaccines are appropriate for the populations they serve and that the COVID-19 shots are now available for states to order through the VFC program.

The Hill

Senators contend that the month-long gap left millions of children who rely on VFC waiting weeks for vaccines that were already accessible to families with commercial insurance. The delay could exacerbate existing health disparities and erode public trust in federal vaccination efforts, especially as the virus continues to circulate year-round with regional spikes.

The Hill