The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is no longer recommending Covid-19 vaccines to healthy children and pregnant women, signalling the first major shakeup to the country’s immunisation schedule under Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy (RFK) Jr.
Announcing the news on social platform X in a video flanked by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Jay Bhattacharya and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Marty Makary, RFK Jr said he “couldn’t be more pleased” that the Covid vaccine was removed from the CDC immunisation schedule for the two groups of the population.
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As of November 2024, one or more doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were recommended for infants six months and older. Adults between up to 64 years were recommended one or more doses while individuals aged 64 years and older were recommended two doses.
“Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another Covid-19 shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children,” the health secretary commented.
The CDC says pregnancy is a factor that can increase the risk of severe illness if Covid-19 is contracted. The agency previously said vaccination during pregnancy is “safe and effective”.
RFK Jr said: “We are now one step closer to realising President Trump’s promise to ‘make America healthy again’.” This final line has raised some eyebrows among industry experts on social media as it seemingly suggests the health secretary believes that administering Covid-19 vaccines in healthy children and pregnant women is ‘unhealthy’.
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By GlobalDataAn HHS secretary conducting such a sweeping change in the recommended immunisation schedule is not typical. Usually, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) would help with the changes in vaccine advice. ACIP only just convened in January 2025 to lay out this year’s recommended immunisation schedule for children and adolescents. RFK Jr said the Covid-19 vaccine drop would be effective immediately. It is unclear whether formal processes were followed in this instance, as the CDC is yet to issue a statement or update its schedule as of 28 May.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it was “extremely disappointed” by the HHS announcement, adding that it is “worried about our patients in the future”.
In a statement, the college said: “We have seen firsthand how dangerous Covid-19 infection can be during pregnancy and for newborns who depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection. We also understand that despite the change in recommendations from HHS, the science has not changed.
“It is very clear that Covid-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families. The Covid-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and vaccination can protect our patients and their infants after birth.”
Whilst RFK Jr is a known vaccine sceptic, Covid-19 jabs have been particularly prevalent in the health secretary’s regulatory crosshairs. Last week, the FDA said it would restrict booster doses in older adults and those at risk of severe illness. Manufacturers of the vaccines will now need to put their products through lengthy placebo-controlled trials before approval.
FDA commissioner Makary has stated that the benefits of annual shots for healthy adults are uncertain, echoing RFK Jr’s views. In 2021, before he assumed his current role, RFK Jr described Covid-19 vaccines as “the deadliest vaccine ever made”.
