RFK Jr. says Covid-19 shot will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women

By Brenda Goodman, CNN

US Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday said the Covid-19 vaccine will no longer be among the recommended vaccines for pregnant women and healthy children on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization schedule.

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The immunization schedule posted online had not yet been changed as of Tuesday morning.

Kennedy announced the change in a video posted to the social media platform X. He was flanked by US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

“As of today, the Covid vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule,” Kennedy said. “Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another covid shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children.”

Pregnant women and children with underlying conditions are at higher risk for severe illness from Covid-19.

The recommendation shift comes among other changes to Covid-19 vaccine policy. The FDA said last week it’s overhauling how it approves Covid-19 vaccines, a move that may limit future shots to older Americans and people at higher risk of serious Covid-19 infection.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.