COVID-19 Vaccine CDC Changes: What it Means for Kids and Pregnant Women

Health --  A big change in health advice came out Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer suggest routine COVID-19 shots for healthy children and pregnant women.

This news was shared by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on social media.

In a video he posted, Secretary 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." He was with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who added, "It's common sense, and it's good science."

It's important to know that the NIH usually doesn't deal with vaccine rules. The FDA decides if a vaccine is safe to use, and the CDC decides who should get it. But right now, the CDC doesn't have a permanent leader, and it looks like Secretary Kennedy made this decision on his own.

This new advice is different from what the CDC said before, which was for everyone 6 months and older, including pregnant women, to get COVID vaccines every year. The coronavirus has caused over a million deaths in the past five years, and yearly shots have helped protect many people. But fewer people have been getting them lately. Now, officials, including Secretary Kennedy, are saying these groups might not benefit from the shots and could even face harm.

During his job interview to become Secretary, Kennedy told lawmakers he wouldn't take away anyone's vaccines. But by removing the vaccine from the CDC's suggested list, it will have a similar effect.

What This Means for Getting the Vaccine:

Taking the COVID-19 vaccine off the CDC's regular list for healthy kids and pregnant women will likely make it harder for them to get the shots. Here's why:

Paying for Shots: CDC recommendations usually decide if health insurance plans have to cover vaccines for free. Without this advice, families might have to pay for the COVID-19 shots themselves.

Free Vaccine Programs: Programs like the Vaccines for Children (VFC), which gives free vaccines to children without insurance, might not cover COVID shots for healthy kids anymore.

Where to Get Shots: Rules that made it easier to get shots in places like pharmacies might change. This could mean fewer places offer the vaccine.

Doctor's Offices: Doctors and clinics might find it confusing. They'll have to figure out who can still get the vaccine, how to order it, and if insurance will pay. This confusion could make them less likely to offer the shots to these groups.

Doctors and medical groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have said they are worried about this new advice. They stress that science still shows vaccines help during pregnancy, as pregnant people face a higher risk from COVID-19. They also point out that getting vaccinated during pregnancy helps protect newborns, who are too young for the shots themselves. "The science has not changed," ACOG clearly states.

Secretary Kennedy's decision goes against how public health advice is usually made. It also fits with his past views on vaccines. This change is expected to create hurdles for certain groups trying to get vaccinated, leading to more discussion about health outcomes and the future of vaccine rules in the U.S.

WNCTimes

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