Healthy Kids, Pregnant Women No Longer Need COVID Shots: U.S.

Key Highlights:

• Routine COVID-19 shots dropped for healthy kids, pregnant women.
• CDC advisory panel bypassed in the decision.
• Insurers reassessing vaccine coverage policies.

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U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that COVID-19 vaccines would no longer be routinely recommended for pregnant women and healthy children, bypassing the CDC’s standard advisory process. Alongside Dr. Marty Makary, the FDA Commissioner, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, NIH Director, Kennedy indicated that the vaccines would no longer be a recommended product on the CDC's immunization schedule.

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The announcement comes a week after it was disclosed that eligibility guidelines for receiving the COVID-19 vaccines had been made stricter, now giving focus to those at highest risk of severe illness and older Americans. Ordinarily, all changes to vaccine recommendations would require a review and vote by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), but no vote on vaccine recommendations was undertaken.

Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic, is completing the shift in the health system consistent with Donald Trump's reductions in the federal government apparatus. Previously, the CDC routinely recommended vaccination for everyone aged six months and older.

Insurers like CVS Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield are reviewing policy adjustments amid the revised federal stance on COVID-19 vaccinations.