By Asmita - May 28, 2025
The United States has stopped recommending routine COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women, aligning with President Donald Trump's aim to reduce federal healthcare involvement. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made the announcement through a video on social media, citing lack of clinical evidence. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary supports the move, restricting vaccine approvals to seniors and high-risk groups until further research. Critics, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, express concerns about increased risks and reduced accessibility to vaccines.
Arne Müseler via Wikimedia
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The United States has officially stopped recommending routine COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women, marking a significant shift in public health policy. This announcement was made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on May 27, 2025, via a video posted on social media. Kennedy stated that the vaccines have been removed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended immunization schedule for these groups, aligning with President Donald Trump’s goal of reducing federal involvement in healthcare.
Previously, the CDC had advised updated COVID-19 vaccines for everyone aged six months and older, including expectant mothers. The agency’s website cited research showing that vaccination before and during pregnancy was both safe and beneficial for mothers and infants. However, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, appearing alongside Kennedy, argued there is no clinical evidence supporting the need for routine COVID-19 vaccination in healthy children, noting that many other countries have already limited such recommendations to high-risk groups.
The new guidance comes shortly after the FDA announced it would restrict COVID-19 vaccine approvals to seniors and individuals with underlying health conditions, pending further research for healthy adults and children. This move brings the U.S. in line with countries like Britain, Germany, and France, where annual boosters are advised mainly for the elderly and immunocompromised. Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic, has been central to the administration’s push to overhaul federal public health policy, bypassing the CDC’s usual advisory panel process.
Critics, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, warn that removing COVID-19 vaccines from the immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women could increase risks and make vaccines harder to access or more expensive. The CDC advisory panel is set to meet in June to discuss recommendations for the fall, but Kennedy’s decision has already taken effect, reflecting a broader trend of declining COVID-19 vaccination rates among Americans.
