CDC Rolls Back COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations for Pregnant Women, Children

The CDC will nary longer urge that patient children and pregnant women person nan COVID-19 vaccine.

The alteration was announced successful a video posted to X connected Tuesday, May 27, by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

"I couldn't beryllium much pleased to denote that arsenic of coming nan COVID vaccine for patient children and patient pregnant women has been removed from nan CDC recommended immunization schedule," Kennedy said successful nan video, which besides featured Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary and National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

He added, "We're now 1 measurement person to realizing President Trump's committedness to make America patient again."

Kennedy besides took a changeable astatine erstwhile president Joe Biden successful nan video, saying, "Last twelvemonth nan Biden management urged patient children to get yet different COVID changeable contempt nan deficiency of immoderate objective information to support nan repetition booster strategy successful children."

Bhattacharya called nan determination to region COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and children "common sense" and "good science," while Makary said, "There's nary grounds patient kids request it coming and astir countries person stopped recommending it for children."

The New York Times reports that nan advisers to nan C.D.C. typically make recommendations for vaccines, which are either approved aliases overruled by nan agency's director. Currently, nan C.D.C. does not person a imperishable director.

Kennedy's announcement comes arsenic independent advisers person been reconsidering COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, NPR reports, but nan outlet notes that nan CDC's Advisory Committee connected Immunization Practices is not presently scheduled to meet until later this month.

Dr. Denise Jamieson, an advisor to nan C.D.C. connected vaccines who serves connected nan immunization committee of nan American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told nan Times that pregnant women look greater risks if infected pinch COVID-19.

“With COVID still circulating, pregnant women and their babies who are calved excessively young to beryllium vaccinated are going to beryllium astatine consequence for Covid and for nan terrible complications,” she told nan Times, adding, “I’m disappointed that this won’t stay an action for pregnant women who would for illustration to protect themselves."

The CDC website presently states that pregnant women "are much apt to get very sick from COVID-19," and notes that "if you person COVID-19 during pregnancy, you are astatine accrued consequence of complications that tin impact your gestation and your babe from superior unwellness from COVID-19."

Newborn babies are amended protected against nan microorganism if their mother receives nan vaccine, Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of nan American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said successful a statement, per NPR.

Dr. Fleischman said newborns "depend connected maternal antibodies from nan vaccine for protection."

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"The subject has not changed," he said. "It is very clear that COVID infection during gestation tin beryllium catastrophic and lead to awesome disability."

With nan removal of vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and children, some nan Times and NPR study that security sum for nan shots is nary longer guaranteed. As noted by nan Times, insurers "rely connected nan proposal of C.D.C. advisers for sum decisions" — which tin beryllium overruled by Kennedy, nan wellness secretary.