US no longer recommends COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women, healthy children

In a major policy shift, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed routine COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women and healthy children from its recommended immunization schedule, health officials confirmed Tuesday. The change was announced in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called the move a step toward fulfilling President Trump's goal to "Make America Healthy Again." “Bottom line: it’s common sense and it’s good science. We are now one step closer to realizing @POTUS’s promise to Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy wrote on X.

Today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from @CDCgov recommended immunization schedule. Bottom line: it’s common sense and it’s good science. We are now one step closer to realizing @POTUS’s promise to Make America Healthy Again. pic.twitter.com/Ytch2afCLP

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) May 27, 2025

Previously, the CDC had advised that all individuals aged six months and older receive updated COVID-19 vaccines. According to the CDC's website, the vaccine is especially important for people who "are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or might become pregnant in the future," among other groups of people. However, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary argued there is no evidence to support the need for routine COVID-19 shots in healthy children. “There's no evidence that healthy kids need it today, and most countries have stopped recommending it for children,” Makary said in the video. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) echoed that sentiment in a separate statement, saying, “With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, it is time to move forward.” The updated guidance follows another key development last week, when the FDA announced it will require new clinical trials for the approval of annual COVID-19 boosters in healthy individuals under 65. The move is expected to narrow eligibility primarily to older adults and those with underlying health risks. While the decision marks a turning point in the nation’s vaccination strategy, the CDC continues to emphasize on its website that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is safe and provides protective benefits to both mother and baby.