CDC Removes Covid-19 Booster Shots from Recommendations for Healthy Children and Pregnant Women
TL/DR –
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has declared that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend Covid-19 booster shots for healthy children and pregnant women, a decision many have stated bypasses the CDC’s authority and could negatively impact access to the vaccine. Kennedy, a Trump administration appointee, was accompanied by the FDA Commissioner and the head of the National Institutes of Health, but it is unclear whether these changes have been formally documented. Critics argue that this unilateral decision not only sends conflicting messages about the importance of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy, but could also lead to potential legal issues for the Health and Human Services Department due to its unusual nature.
US Health Secretary Announces Removal of Covid-19 Booster Shots from CDC’s Recommendation for Children and Pregnant Women
US Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, disclosed on social media that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would no longer recommend Covid-19 booster shots for healthy children and pregnant women. Legal experts have argued that this decision, unprecedented in nature, undermines the CDC’s authority.
“Today, the Covid vaccine shot for healthy children and pregnant women has been removed from the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule,” Kennedy declared in his announcement. He criticised the Biden administration for urging children to receive additional Covid shots without substantial supporting clinical data.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) heads, Dr Jay Bhattacharya and Dr Marty Makary, respectively, supported Kennedy’s decision, although neither would normally participate in such vaccine recommendations. Bhattacharya labelled the announcement as “common sense and good science”.
However, the removal of the booster shot from the recommended schedule may impact its accessibility and private insurers’ willingness to cover the vaccine costs. Around half of Americans rely on private insurance for healthcare. Legal experts also warn that such a unilateral change could expose the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to potential lawsuits.
As of Tuesday, the CDC website still recommended annual Covid-19 booster shots for children. The effects of Kennedy’s announcement on federal programs like Vaccines for Children, which provides vaccines to uninsured and under-insured children, remain unclear.
The CDC has previously stressed the increased risk of severe illness for those contracting Covid-19 during pregnancy, including a higher risk of hospitalization and intensive care. This evidence was recognized by Makary in a precedent-setting New England Journal of Medicine article. Additionally, research shows that vaccinated mothers can pass protective immunity to their infants.
Normally, changes to vaccine recommendations are made by the CDC’s advisory committee on vaccine practices (ACIP), a group of independent vaccine experts. ACIP’s recommendations are then balanced by those from the FDA’s similar advisory committee, which recently recommended the JN.1 lineage for this fall’s Covid-19 booster shot.
Kennedy’s announcement coincides with the Trump administration’s appointment of “Covid contrarians” within HHS. Congressional Republicans have also continued to criticize the Biden administration’s pandemic response and vaccine hesitancy is becoming increasingly common among Republican party voters.
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