Millions of Americans will soon face a change in COVID vaccine recommendations, as health officials move to limit routine shots for certain groups.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that healthy children and pregnant women will no longer be routinely advised to receive the COVID vaccine, marking a significant shift from previous policies.
“Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get another Covid shot despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children,” he said in a video posted on X.
He described the updated recommendation as “common sense” and “good science,” expressing satisfaction with the new direction.
This announcement reverses the earlier guidance, which encouraged COVID vaccinations for everyone six months and older.
Critics of the previous approach have pointed to the low risk of severe illness and hospitalization for healthy children and pregnant women, raising concerns about side effects such as myocarditis—a rare but noted inflammation of the heart, especially among younger adults, according to the Daily Mail.
Supporting the decision, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the newly appointed NIH head, said, “That ends today. It’s common sense and it’s good science.”
Likewise, Dr. Marty Makary, leading the FDA, added, “There’s no evidence that healthy kids need it today and most countries have stopped recommending it for children.”
Although routine shots will no longer be advised for these groups, individuals under 65 with underlying conditions that raise their risk of severe COVID, such as obesity, remain eligible for vaccination.
According to Dr. Vinay Prasad, responsible for vaccines at the FDA, the list of underlying health issues is extensive, meaning many will still be recommended to receive the vaccine.
Typically, changes to vaccine recommendations undergo a consultation process involving the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices before the HHS Secretary takes action.
However, RFK Jr. appears to have exercised his authority directly, a move that is uncommon and notable, especially with the CDC currently lacking an acting director, the Daily Mail reports.
Adding to the shift, the FDA recently announced it will no longer automatically approve updated annual COVID booster shots.
Dr. Prasad highlighted concerns about repeated boosters, stating, “We have launched down this multi-year campaign of booster after booster after booster. [But] we do not have the gold standard science to support this for average-risk, low risk, Americans.”
He emphasized the need for new clinical studies to prove benefits for younger adults, who are at lower risk from the virus.
Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf echoed this cautious stance in a January JAMA article, noting, “Covid vaccine uptake is now low enough that large [randomized clinical trials] are feasible to evaluate the efficacy and safety of new updated boosters.”
COVID vaccine participation in the U.S. has dropped significantly, with just 23 percent of eligible individuals aged six months and older receiving the booster last year.
Experts attribute this decline to the broad eligibility criteria, intended to guarantee widespread access within the complexities of the nation’s health insurance system.
Kennedy’s opposition to COVID vaccines is well-documented. In 2021, he called the shots the “deadliest vaccine ever made” and filed a petition urging the FDA to revoke their authorization.
However, after his 2024 presidential election win, he clarified his position, saying he would not “take away anybody’s vaccine” and emphasizing personal choice informed by scientific safety and efficacy data.
