US no longer recommends the COVID vaccine for pregnant women and healthy children

The US has removed COVID vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women in response to evolving pandemic circumstances.

On Tuesday, US health officials announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ceased recommending routine COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women and healthy children.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., responsible for the CDC and known for his long-standing skepticism regarding vaccines, provided the update in a video posted on the social media platform X. He stated that the vaccines were taken off the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for these groups as part of wider initiatives to reform the U.S. health system in accordance with President Donald Trump’s objective to considerably decrease the size of the federal government.

“We are now one step closer to fulfilling @POTUS’s commitment to Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy stated.

The CDC had previously advised that updated COVID vaccines be administered to all individuals aged six months and older.

The CDC website states that extensive studies involving hundreds of thousands of individuals globally have demonstrated that COVID-19 vaccination before and during pregnancy is safe, effective, and advantageous for both the mother and the baby.

In the video, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary stated that there is no evidence to support the necessity of routine COVID shots for healthy children. He observed that the majority of countries have ceased recommending the vaccine for children.

“Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, we are ready to move forward,” stated the Department of Health and Human Services.

Moderna and Pfizer, the vaccine manufacturers, have not yet provided a response to requests for comment.

The recent recommendations come after the FDA’s announcement last week regarding the necessity of new clinical trials prior to the approval of annual COVID-19 booster shots for healthy individuals under 65, thereby restricting boosters to older adults and those at greater risk of severe illness.