RFK Jr. says COVID vaccines no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. Kennedy stated in a short video that he has removed COVID-19 shots from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for these specific groups. The CDC did not have a representative in the video, and they have directed queries about the announcement to Kennedy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In accordance with advice from infectious disease experts, U.S. health officials have been advocating for yearly COVID-19 boosters for all individuals aged 6 months and older. A CDC advisory panel is scheduled to convene in June to provide recommendations regarding the fall shots. One of the options being considered is recommending shots for high-risk individuals while allowing those at lower risk to choose whether to receive the vaccine.

Kennedy, who was a prominent anti-vaccine proponent before taking on the role of health secretary, made the decision not to wait for the CDC panel’s recommendations. He expressed his concerns about the lack of clinical data supporting the necessity of annual COVID-19 booster shots for children. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Jay Battacharya from the National Institutes of Health also appeared in the video alongside Kennedy.

Recent actions by Kennedy and other appointees from the Trump administration have aimed to restrict COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and impose additional limitations on recent vaccine approvals. Last week, the FDA announced that routine COVID-19 vaccine approvals will only be granted to seniors and younger individuals with underlying medical conditions, pending further research for healthy adults and children.

Health and Human Services officials have not yet responded to questions regarding Kennedy’s decision to make this announcement at this time or provided further details on the reasoning behind the move.