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yesterday

RFK Jr. Removes COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendation for Healthy Children and Pregnant Women

By sidestepping the CDC’s expert panel, the policy change has unsettled doctors, leaving insurers uncertain about coverage.

A tray of COVID-19 vaccines is seen at the Kaiser Permanente adult vaccine clinic in San Francisco in September.
FILE - A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rests on a table at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon attend a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Christina Varna, right, receives a COVID-19 vaccine at the Kaiser Permanente adult vaccine clinic in San Francisco in September. The federal government recently announced new restrictions on COVID vaccine access.

Overview

  • Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a brief video that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, bypassing the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
  • Leading medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have condemned the move as contrary to extensive evidence of vaccine safety and effectiveness for these groups.
  • The CDC’s official website continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant people and children, creating confusion over current federal guidance.
  • Insurers rely on CDC recommendations to determine vaccine coverage, and they may drop COVID-19 shot coverage for those no longer deemed high risk, potentially imposing out-of-pocket costs, reducing access for low-income families.
  • Legal analysts anticipate lawsuits challenging the change, citing the absence of documented evidence and the bypass of established scientific advisory processes.