The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cease recommending routine COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women, teens, and children, aligning with global health standards and recent scientific findings. A formal announcement is anticipated in the coming days.
Currently, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines advise vaccination for individuals over six months old. However, the forthcoming changes may revise these recommendations, particularly for low-risk groups. This shift follows HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s consideration to remove COVID-19 vaccines from the federal immunization schedule for children.
The decision aligns the U.S. with the World Health Organization’s stance, which does not advocate annual COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children or adults. Studies indicate that children face minimal risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19. During his confirmation hearings, Secretary Kennedy remarked, “COVID vaccines are inappropriate for 6-year-old children who basically have a zero risk of COVID.”
Recent CDC data reveals that only 13% of children received the latest COVID-19 vaccine. No U.S. state mandates the vaccine for students, and 22 states have enacted bans on student COVID vaccine mandates.
Concurrently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is evaluating a new framework for vaccine approvals, potentially requiring more comprehensive data and placebo-controlled trials for new vaccines. This includes reconsideration of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, which, while available for emergency use, has not received full FDA approval.
