RFK Jr. directed the CDC to reverse its recommendation that health children and pregnant individuals receive COVID-19 vaccines. This move will make it very difficult for many Americans to access the vaccine for themselves or their kids. Insurance companies are very unlikely to continue covering the vaccines after the CDC reversing its recommendation. People may also face supply shortages as pharmacies may reduce the number of doses they stock. Losing access to the vaccine, experts warn, could cause more illnesses in children, pregnant individuals and their babies.
“As ob-gyns who treat patients every day, we have seen firsthand how dangerous COVID infection can be during pregnancy and for newborns who depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection,” said Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “The science has not changed. It is very clear that COVID infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability.”
Beyond the direct health consequences of removing the COVID shot recommendation, RFK Jr.’s directive was made unilaterally, with no input from the agency’s independent advisers; This unprecedented move degrades the scientific integrity of public health policy, experts warn.
