Overview

• The Department of Health and Human Services sent Congress a document defending the removal of COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women that relies on studies many experts say lack context and peer review.
• The report erroneously claimed a study found increased placental blood clotting after vaccination despite no such evidence in the published research.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reclassified pediatric COVID-19 shots under shared clinical decision-making to preserve insurance coverage while the FDA prepares updated guidance.
• Public health authorities warn the misused research could intensify vaccine hesitancy and worsen measles and whooping cough outbreaks.
• Critics argue Kennedy’s promise of radical transparency and gold-standard science is undermined by the department’s reliance on disputed and unpublished data.