Healthy children and pregnant women are no longer included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s COVID-19 vaccination recommendation list, according to Robert Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Courtesy of The New York Times
Kennedy shared the update on May 27 through a post and video on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that the CDC had excluded these groups due to a “lack of clinical data supporting repeated vaccinations for children.”
Reduced access to free COVID-19 vaccines expected
Kennedy stated that without CDC recommendation, healthy children and pregnant women may no longer be able to receive free COVID-19 vaccinations. Most health insurers follow CDC guidelines to determine which vaccines are covered.
Uninsured children had previously received free vaccines through federal public health programs. However, many local governments have ended vaccine clinic operations since March, when the federal government made major cuts to healthcare funding.
According to the CDC’s price list, a single dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine can cost up to $150.
Public health experts warn that children and pregnant women remain vulnerable to respiratory viruses such as COVID-19. If infected, they face a higher risk of complications like pneumonia. Since Kennedy—widely known for his vaccine skepticism—assumed leadership of the department, several policies limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines have followed.
In a related move, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that it would not approve new COVID-19 variant vaccines for healthy adults, children, or adolescents unless additional clinical trials are conducted. Experts believe this requirement may significantly increase costs for pharmaceutical companies and create obstacles to the development of updated vaccines.
BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
