Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released a video on Tuesday announcing that President Donald Trump’s administration was removing healthy children and pregnant women from the list of people recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a video shared Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, Kennedy said, “I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that as of today the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule.”
Kennedy explained that former President Joe Biden’s administration encouraged healthy children to “get yet another COVID shot” last year “despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children.”
“That ends today,” National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said. “It’s common sense, and it’s good science.”
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In Tuesday’s video, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary claimed that there was “no evidence” that healthy children need the COVID-19 booster vaccine. Makary added that most other countries have stopped recommending the vaccine for healthy children.
In conclusion to Tuesday’s video regarding the CDC’s decision to no longer recommend healthy children and healthy pregnant women receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Kennedy said, “We’re now one step closer to realizing President Trump’s promise to make America healthy again.”
CBS News reported that Kennedy’s announcement on Tuesday comes as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is expected to meet in June. The outlet noted that prior to Tuesday’s announcement, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices had been expected to vote on changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for different groups of Americans.
In an email obtained by CBS News, Vianca Rodriguez Feliciano, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson, said, “With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, it is time to move forward. HHS and the CDC remain committed to gold standard science and to ensuring the health and well-being of all Americans — especially our nation’s children — using common sense.”
