Updated Recommendations: COVID-19 Vaccines No Longer Suggested for Healthy Children and Pregnant Women

On May 27, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that the CDC will cease recommending annual COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women. This decision follows recent regulatory updates from the FDA, which now limits the approval of new vaccine versions to adults aged 65 and older, and individuals with specific health risks. The FDA is also requiring vaccine manufacturers to conduct additional trials to prove benefits for lower-risk groups.

Historically, annual COVID-19 vaccination was advised for everyone aged 6 months and older, regardless of health status, to prevent severe illness. However, officials like HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have stated that current evidence does not support routine vaccination of healthy children and pregnant women. Kennedy highlighted this shift in a social media video, emphasizing the focus on high-risk populations.

Many public health experts and professional organizations have expressed reservations about this change. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Pediatrics have underscored the importance of vaccinating pregnant women to protect both mothers and infants. Conversely, the recent policy shift suggests that vaccination will now be primarily targeted at high-risk individuals, with limited access for healthy populations.

Despite these changes, individuals with certain medical conditions that increase COVID-19 severity—such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and pregnancy—still qualify for vaccination. Numerous studies confirm that COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy and can reduce risks like stillbirth and severe illness.

The policy updates notably omit recommendations for caregivers and household contacts of high-risk individuals, potentially increasing vulnerability to COVID-19 exposure from healthy individuals. Internationally, some countries continue to recommend risk-based vaccination strategies that include these groups.

For children, high-risk groups continue to be eligible for vaccination, though the long-term status of vaccine approval for children remains uncertain. While millions of children have been safely vaccinated, the necessity and benefit of annual booster shots in this age group are still under evaluation.

As for healthy adults, the new FDA and CDC policies will likely restrict vaccine access, making it less straightforward for low-risk individuals to receive the vaccine. Insurance coverage, which is typically aligned with CDC recommendations, may also be impacted, reducing overall vaccine accessibility. This shift toward individual risk assessment over community-wide vaccination efforts raises concerns about broader public health benefits, such as herd immunity and community protection.

source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-annual-covid-shots-longer-healthy.html