It makes sense to approach some marketing efforts with skepticism. Scams, deepfakes, and deceptive social media posts are common, with people you don\u2019t know seeking to profit from your behavior.<\/p>\n
But should people extend this same skepticism to pediatricians who advise vaccines for children? Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said financial bonuses are driving such recommendations.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctors are being paid to vaccinate, not to evaluate,\u201d Kennedy said in an Aug. 8\u00a0video<\/a>\u00a0posted on the social platform X. \u201cThey\u2019re pressured to follow the money, not the science.\u201d<\/p>\n Doctors and public health officials have been\u00a0fielding questions<\/a>\u00a0on this\u00a0topic<\/a>\u00a0for years<\/a>.<\/p>\n A close look at the process by which vaccines are administered shows pediatric practices make little profit \u2014\u00a0and sometimes lose money \u2014\u00a0on vaccines. Four experienced pediatricians told us evidence-based science and medicine drive pediatricians\u2019 childhood vaccination recommendations. Years of research and vaccine safety data also bolster these recommendations.<\/p>\n Christoph Diasio, a pediatrician at Sandhills Pediatrics in North Carolina, said the argument that doctors profit off vaccines is counterintuitive.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it was really about all the money, it would be better for kids to be sick so you\u2019d see more sick children and get to take care of more sick children, right?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n It costs money to stock, store, and administer a vaccine.<\/p>\n Pediatricians sometimes store thousands of dollars\u2019 worth of vaccines in specialized medical-grade refrigeration units, which can be expensive. They pay to insure vaccines in case anything happens to them. Some practices buy thermostats that monitor vaccines\u2019 temperature and backup generators to run the refrigerators in the event of a power outage. They also pay nursing staff to administer vaccines.<\/p>\n \u201cVaccines are hugely expensive,\u201d said Jesse Hackell, a retired general pediatrician and the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics\u2019 Committee on Pediatric Workforce. \u201cWe lay out a lot of money up front.\u201d<\/p>\n When a child with private insurance gets a vaccine, the pediatrician is paid for the vaccine product and its administration, Hackell said.<\/p>\n Many pediatricians also participate in a federal\u00a0program<\/a>\u00a0that provides vaccines free of charge to eligible children whose parents can\u2019t afford them. Participating in that program\u00a0isn\u2019t profitable<\/a>\u00a0because even though they get the vaccines for free, pediatricians store and insure them, and Medicaid reimbursements often don\u2019t cover the costs. But many choose to participate and provide those vaccines anyway because it\u2019s valuable for patients, Hackell said.<\/p>\n When discussing vaccine recommendations, pediatricians don\u2019t make different recommendations based on how or if a child is insured, he said.<\/p>\n Jason Terk, a pediatrician at Cook Children\u2019s Health Care System in Texas, said a practice\u2019s ability to make a profit on vaccines depends on its situation.<\/p>\n Terk\u2019s practice is part of a larger pediatric health care system, which means it doesn\u2019t lose money on vaccines and makes a small profit, he said. Some small independent practices might not be able to secure terms with insurance companies that adequately pay for vaccines.<\/p>\n Suzanne Berman, a pediatrician at Plateau Pediatrics, a rural health clinic in Crossville, Tennessee, said that 75% of her practice\u2019s patients have Medicaid and qualify for the Vaccines for Children program, which the practice loses money on. When she factored in private insurance companies\u2019 payments, she estimated her practice roughly breaks even on vaccination.<\/p>\n \u201cThe goal is to not lose money on vaccines,\u201d Terk said.<\/p>\n Pediatricians typically recommend parents vaccinate their children following either the American Academy of Pediatrics\u2019 or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s recommended vaccine schedule.<\/p>\n Diasio said the driving force behind pediatric vaccine recommendations is straightforward: Trained physicians have seen kids die of vaccine-preventable diseases.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw kids who died of invasive pneumococcal disease, which is what the Prevnar vaccine protects against,\u201d Diasio said. \u201cWe remember those kids; we wouldn\u2019t wish that on anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, your pediatrician will consider your child\u2019s health holistically before making vaccine recommendations.<\/p>\n For example, a few children \u2014\u00a0 less than 1% \u2014 have medical reasons they cannot receive a particular vaccine, Hackell said. This could include children with severe allergies to certain vaccine components or children who are immunosuppressed and could be at higher risk from live virus vaccines such as the measles or chickenpox vaccine.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people have questions about whether their kids should get vaccines, they really need to talk to their child\u2019s doctor,\u201d Diasio said. \u201cDon\u2019t get lost down a rabbit hole of the internet or on social media, which is programmed and refined to do whatever it can to keep you online longer.\u201d<\/p>\n KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\nIs Your Pediatrician Profiting Off Childhood Vaccines?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
So What\u2019s Driving Your Pediatrician\u2019s Vaccine Recommendations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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