US No Longer Recommends COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children and Pregnant Women

The federal government has removed COVID-19 vaccines from the list of immunizations recommended for healthy pregnant women and children, writes NPR. Federal health authorities reported this on May 27.

Photo: Leigh Prather | Dreamstime.com

“I couldn’t be more pleased that, as of today, the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer part of the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a video posted on Platform X. “We are now one step closer to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to Make America Healthy Again.”

The decision will make it much more difficult for parents to vaccinate their children and for pregnant women to get the shot, since insurance companies will likely no longer cover it.

On the subject: Anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist: What is Robert Kennedy, the Senate's choice for health secretary, known for?

“Last year, the Biden administration called for healthy children to get another dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, even though they didn’t have any clinical data to support a strategy of giving them multiple boosters,” Kennedy Jr. said.

He was accompanied by FDA Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya when the decision was announced.

"It's common sense and a science-based decision," Bhattacharya said.

"There is no evidence that healthy children need it now, and most countries have already stopped recommending the vaccine for them," Makari said.

The decision was apparently made without the input of independent outside advisers, as is typically the case. Although independent experts have been reviewing the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting to discuss the recommendation is not scheduled until later this month.

Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Vianca N. Rodriguez Feliciano said, “The Department of Health and Human Services and CDC remain committed to the highest level of science and to the health and well-being of all Americans, especially our nation’s children.”

Since the vaccines became available, the government has recommended that almost everyone, including children and pregnant women, get vaccinated. Although children tend to have a much milder case of COVID-19, some, especially younger children, still become seriously ill, and pregnant women remain at high risk of serious complications from the virus.

Vaccination of pregnant women protects newborns who cannot be vaccinated themselves, but are at very high risk of severe consequences of the infection.

“This is a huge concern,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases. “It will create confusion not only among parents but also among health care professionals. It takes away people’s choice.”

Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said his organization was “extremely disappointed” by the removal of a recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.

“As obstetricians and gynecologists who treat patients every day, we see first-hand how dangerous this infection can be during pregnancy and for newborns who rely on maternal antibodies produced by vaccination,” he said in a statement. “The science has not changed. It is clear that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy will be devastating and lead to serious complications.”

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple read it all on ForumDaily New Y

The announcement comes a week after the administration took steps that could significantly limit the availability of the next round of COVID-19 booster doses. The government will now require additional testing before vaccines can be approved for use by people other than those at high risk of severe COVID-19, such as older adults (ages 65 and up) and those with underlying health conditions.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Health Secretary Bathed His Grandchildren in Toxic Washington Pond

US Surgeon General Advises Taking Vitamin A Instead of Measles Vaccines: Doctors Outraged

COVID-19 vaccination no longer required to immigrate to the US

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.