Raleigh families worry about changes to COVID-19 vaccine eligibility

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Changes to the vaccine guidelines by the CDC advisory panel are causing confusion and frustration for some Raleigh families.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee voted Friday afternoon to no longer outright recommend the COVID-19 vaccine, instead making it a personal choice to get the shot.

Rashelle Biggar is a mom of four, and says she wanted to schedule COVID-19 shots for her kids before they get sick.

"I want to be able to get my kids the vaccines, especially the COVID boosters, on time and when it's going to be best for them, when we're coming up on the season," she said. "It's frustrating when I can't make that choice on my own and I have to wait for the government to tell me what I can do."

Dr. Peyton Thompson is an assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases at UNC-Chapel Hill.

She says the changes from the CDC advisory panel are very influential.

"Their recommendations are really what inform our vaccine schedule, but also inform insurance coverage," she said.

She says families might have to start paying out-of-pocket for vaccines that were covered in the past, and worries about what will happen if more people opt out of getting vaccinated.

"We might be seeing more of these outbreaks of COVID, like we did early on in the pandemic, where we're seeing cases all over the place," she said.

Biggar says she just wants the ability to make decisions that she thinks are best for her children.

"We talk a lot about parents' rights, but then we're trying to take these rights away from parents," said Biggar. "I feel like, as a parent, I want to protect my kids. I want to keep them happy and safe and healthy."

Doctors also recommend talking to a pediatrician to understand what these changes mean.

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