US removes COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for healthy children, pregnant women
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says coronavirus vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and healthy pregnant women.
Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, announced the change in a social media video on Tuesday.
He stated that COVID-19 shots for those groups have been removed from the recommended immunization schedule of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.
Kennedy said, "We are now one step closer to realizing President Trump's promise to Make America Healthy Again."
An article in The New York Times says the secretary's "decision upends the standard process for vaccine recommendations."
It explains that such recommendations "are made by advisers to the CDC after considering existing studies, data and possible side effects." It adds that the CDC's "director can accept, modify or reject the advisers' suggestions."
Kennedy's announcement is raising concerns among experts.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a statement. It says, "Following this announcement, we are worried about our patients in the future, who may be less likely to choose vaccination during pregnancy despite the clear and definitive evidence demonstrating its benefit."
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