Newsletters
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a significant change in its COVID-19 vaccination policy: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, stated that the decision was based on a lack of sufficient clinical data supporting vaccination for these low-risk groups.
This move aligns the United States with countries like the United Kingdom and Australia, which have limited COVID-19 vaccine recommendations primarily to elderly or high-risk individuals.
The policy shift has sparked criticism from public health experts and medical organizations.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized that COVID-19 poses significant risks during pregnancy and early childhood, and vaccination remains a crucial protective measure.
This policy change marks a significant departure from previous recommendations for vaccination of everyone over six months old and reflects a more targeted approach focusing on high-risk populations.
The World Health Organization continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women and others at higher risk.
3 min read
