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Yahoo
an hour ago
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Says CDC Drops COVID Vaccine For 'Healthy' Pregnant Women, Children
The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that 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. Kennedy announced the change in a video posted to the social media platform X. '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.' Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — He was joined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. As of Tuesday morning, the immunization schedule posted online had not yet been changed. In 2021, Kennedy filed a citizen petition requesting the FDA to revoke Emergency Use Authorizations for existing COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from approving and licensing them. The update follows the FDA's changes to COVID-19 vaccine requirements, limiting annual booster approvals to older and high-risk Americans while implementing stricter clinical trial requirements for healthy adults. The FDA will now require new clinical trials for approval of annual COVID-19 boosters for healthy Americans under age 65, effectively restricting their availability to older adults and those at risk of severe illness, according to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and top U.S. vaccines regulator Vinay Prasad in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported week, the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted to recommend a monovalent JN.1-lineage vaccine composition. Based on the totality of the evidence, the FDA has advised the manufacturers of the approved COVID-19 vaccines that to more closely match currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses, the COVID-19 vaccines for use in the United States beginning in fall 2025 should be monovalent JN.1-lineage-based COVID-19 vaccines (2025-2026 Formula), preferentially using the LP.8.1 strain. On Friday, Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) submitted an application to the FDA to review its Spikevax 2025-2026 formula, targeting the SARS-CoV-2 variant LP.8.1. Also, Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) received limited FDA approval for its COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid, marking a regulatory milestone and unlocking a $175 million milestone payment from partner Sanofi SA (NASDAQ:SNY) The approval came after a six-week delay as regulators sought additional data. The vaccine is now authorized for people aged 65 and older and for individuals 12 and up with underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19. Read Next: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Invest before it's too late. Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Many are rushing to grab 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for just $0.30/share! Photo: Shutterstock Send To MSN: Send to MSN UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Says CDC Drops COVID Vaccine For 'Healthy' Pregnant Women, Children originally appeared on
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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RFK Jr. says annual COVID-19 shots no longer advised for healthy children and pregnant women – a public health expert explains the new guidance
On May 27, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer include the COVID-19 vaccine on the list of immunizations it recommends for healthy children and pregnant women. The announcement, made in a video posted on the social platform X, comes on the heels of another announcement, made on May 20, in which the Food and Drug Administration revealed that it will approve new versions of the vaccine only for adults 65 years of age and older and for people with one or more risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes. The agency will require vaccine manufacturers to conduct clinical trials to demonstrate that the vaccine benefits low-risk groups. The Conversation U.S. asked Libby Richards, a nursing professor from Purdue University involved in public health promotion, to explain what these announcements mean for the general public. Currently, getting a yearly COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older, regardless of their health risk. In the video announcing the plan to remove the vaccine from the CDC's recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and healthy pregnant women, Kennedy spoke alongside National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. The trio cited a lack of evidence to support vaccinating healthy children. They did not explain the reason for the change to the vaccine schedule for pregnant people, who have previously been considered at high-risk for severe COVID-19. Similarly, in the FDA announcement made a week prior, Makary and the agency's head of vaccines, Vinay Prasad, said that public health trends now support limiting vaccines to people at high risk of serious illness instead of a universal COVID-19 vaccination strategy. Many public health experts and professional health care associations have raised concerns about Kennedy's latest announcement, saying it contradicts studies showing that COVID-19 vaccination benefits pregnant people and children. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, considered the premier professional organization for that medical specialty, reinforced the importance of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, especially to protect infants after birth. Likewise, the American Academy of Pediatrics pointed to the data on hospitalizations of children with COVID-19 during the 2024-to-2025 respiratory virus season as evidence for the importance of vaccination. Kennedy's announcement on children and pregnant women comes roughly a month ahead of a planned meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of vaccine experts that offers guidance to the CDC on vaccine policy. The meeting was set to review guidance for the 2025-to-2026 COVID-19 vaccines. It's not typical for the CDC to alter its recommendations without input from the committee. FDA officials Makary and Prasad also strayed from past established vaccine regulatory processes in announcing the FDA's new stance on recommendations for healthy people under age 65. Usually, the FDA broadly approves a vaccine based on whether it is safe and effective, and decisions on who should be eligible to receive it are left to the CDC, which bases its decision on the advisory committee's research-based guidance. The advisory committee was expected to recommend a risk-based approach for the COVID-19 vaccine, but it was also expected to recommend allowing low-risk people to get annual COVID-19 vaccines if they want to. The CDC's and FDA's new policies on the vaccine will likely make it difficult for healthy people to get the vaccine. The CDC lists several medical conditions and other factors that increase peoples' risk for severe COVID-19. These conditions include cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, chronic kidney disease and some lung conditions like COPD and asthma. Pregnancy is also on the list. The article authored by Makary and Prasad describing the FDA's new stance on the vaccine also contain a lengthy list of risk factors and notes that about 100 million to 200 million people will fall into this category and will thus be eligible to get the vaccine. Pregnancy is included. Reversing the recommendation for vaccinating healthy pregnant women thus contradicts the new framework described by the FDA. Studies have documented that COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy and may reduce the risk of stillbirth. A study published in May 2025 using data from 26,783 pregnancies found a link between COVID-19 infection before and during pregnancy and an increased risk for spontaneous abortions. Importantly, a 2024 analysis of 120 studies including a total of 168,444 pregnant women with COVID-19 infections did not find enough evidence to suggest the infections are a direct cause of early pregnancy loss. Nonetheless, the authors did state that COVID-19 vaccination remains a crucial preventive measure for pregnant women to reduce the overall risk of serious complications in pregnancy due to infection. Immune changes during pregnancy increase the risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses. Vaccination during pregnancy also provides protection to the fetus that lasts into the first few months of life and is associated with a lower risk of COVID-19 related hospitalization among infants. The changes to the CDC's and the FDA's plan for COVID-19 vaccines also leave out an important group – caregivers and household members of people at high risk of severe illness from infection. This omission leaves high-risk people more vulnerable to exposure to COVID-19 from healthy people they regularly interact with. Multiple countries with risk-based vaccination policies do include this group. High-risk children age 6 months and older who have conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 are still eligible for the vaccine. Existing vaccines already on the market will remain available, but it is unclear how long they will stay authorized and how the change in vaccine policy will affect childhood vaccination overall. To date, millions of children have safely received the COVID-19 vaccine. Data on whether children benefit from annual COVD-19 vaccines is less clear. Parents and clinicians make vaccination decisions by weighing potential risks with potential benefits. Not automatically. Kennedy's announcement does not broadly address healthy adults, but under the new FDA framework, healthy adults who wish to receive the fall COVID-19 vaccine will likely face obstacles. Health care providers can administer vaccines 'off-label', but insurance coverage is widely based on FDA recommendations. The new, narrower FDA approval will likely reduce both access to COVID-19 vaccines for the general public and insurance coverage for COVID-19 vaccines. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance providers are required to fully cover the cost of any vaccine endorsed by the CDC. Kennedy's announcement will likely limit insurance coverage for COVID-19 vaccination. Overall, the move to focus on individual risks and benefits may overlook broader public health benefits. Communities with higher vaccination rates have fewer opportunities to spread the virus. This is an updated version of an article originally published on May 22, 2025. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Libby Richards, Purdue University Read more: FDA will approve COVID-19 vaccine only for older adults and high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules Vaccines against COVID-19, the seasonal flu and RSV are our best chance of preventing a winter surge Why pregnant people should get vaccinated for COVID-19 – a maternal care expert explains Libby Richards has received funding from the American Nurses Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.
NBC News
2 hours ago
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- NBC News
Meet the Press NOW — May 28
Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, argues that Elon Musk will remain active in government despite President Trump saying the billionaire would likely be leaving his administration within months. Vice President JD Vance touts crypto deregulations at a Bitcoin event. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary speaks with NBC News after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces a major change to Covid vaccine 28, 2025
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Recall alert: Throw away these 17 salads, salsas due to salmonella concern
Seventeen salad and salsa products containing cucumbers have been recalled because they could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Coastal Companies issued the voluntary recall on May 22 for certain salsas and salads distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. and sold under the brand names East Coast Fresh, TOPS, Wellsley Farms, WEIS, AHOLD, Jack and Olive, Created Fresh and Spring and Sprout. The products were sold between May 6 and 21 and were distributed in Massachusetts, Vermont, Washington D.C., Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and North Carolina. Though no illnesses have been linked directly to these products, they may contain cucumbers sold by Bedner Growers, which have been linked to 26 illnesses in 15 states, according to the FDA. Bedner Growers recalled the company's cucumbers on May 19. Anyone who has purchased one of the recalled products should throw them away rather than returning them. To see the full list of salad and salsa products that have been recalled, see the FDA's recall notice. Ford recalls 280,000+ vehicles for brake, steering safety issues Multi-state salmonella outbreak linked to recalled cucumbers Public health alert: Listeria found in Big Y, Price Chopper ready-to-eat wrap Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
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'A canary in a coal mine': Doctors react to RFK Jr.'s decision to end COVID vaccine recommendations for healthy children, pregnant women
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that his agency will no longer be recommending the coronavirus vaccine for healthy pregnant women and healthy children. In a 58-second video posted on X, Kennedy, standing alongside Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the National Institutes of Health director, and Marty Makary, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the vaccine had been removed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunization schedule for those groups of people. 'I couldn't be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule,' Kennedy said in the video. The new policy also follows last week's decision by the FDA to limit COVID shots to those over 65 with high-risk conditions. As of Wednesday morning, the CDC's website was still recommending an annual coronavirus vaccine for everyone 6 months old and older, and advising that the vaccine is 'especially important if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant or might become pregnant in the future.' Yahoo News spoke to doctors about some of their biggest concerns and sources of confusion, following Kennedy's announcement. Kennedy did not offer a detailed explanation on Tuesday for why the CDC will no longer recommend the vaccination for healthy pregnant women. The CDC previously reported that pregnant women are more likely to become very sick from COVID compared to nonpregnant people and, if exposed to the virus, have an increased risk of pregnancy complications, including preterm birth and stillbirth. The World Health Organization also recommends COVID shots for pregnant women. Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health and Security, told Yahoo News that the new guidance seems contradictory because 'pregnancy is a high-risk condition for COVID.' 'Multiple studies have shown that COVID during pregnancy has significant consequences for the pregnant woman,' Adlaja said. 'Not recommending pregnant women be vaccinated requires evasion of that knowledge and is dangerous.' In the video announcement, which did not include anyone from the CDC, Makary said there was no evidence that healthy children needed to be regularly vaccinated and that other countries had stopped recommending it for children. (The World Health Organization, Australia and the U.K. currently do not recommend routine COVID vaccinations for children without underlying health conditions.) COVID vaccines will still be recommended for children with underlying conditions. The CDC reported that between October 2022 and April 2024, 59% of the children hospitalized with COVID did have at least one underlying condition. One of the biggest concerns raised by doctors who spoke to Yahoo News was whether the new guidance could make it harder for the groups that have been removed from the recommended list to access the vaccine. The Affordable Care Act requires most medical insurers to cover vaccines that are recommended by the CDC without any out-of-pocket costs. But it was not immediately clear whether insurers will continue to cover the vaccine for healthy pregnant women or healthy children who still want to get it. 'There are other reasons that are legitimate for getting a vaccine as a healthy young person, but what I don't like about this is they've taken that choice out of their hands and made it virtually uninsurable,' Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the vaccine education center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told Yahoo News. '[Vaccines] are a matter of personal choice, but [Kennedy] has taken away that choice.' 'Everyone should have the option of getting the COVID vaccine,' Dr. Molly O'Shea, a Michigan-based pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, echoed this concern. 'This is a canary in a coal mine,' O'Shea told Yahoo News. 'Science has shown that not everyone is in the same risk category as everybody else when it comes to COVID anymore. But that doesn't mean that some people don't need vaccines anymore.' Doctors like O'Shea and others also noted that the decision to stop recommending COVID vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women was made outside the normal process for vaccine guidelines. A CDC advisory panel was set to meet in June to discuss vaccine recommendations, but Kennedy's announcement preempted that conversation. Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, also issued a statement saying, "It is concerning that such a significant policy change was made unilaterally outside an open, evidence-based process with no regard for the negative impact this will have on millions of Americans."
