Public Health on Call

Podcast Recap | Public Health On Call: Changing recommendations for COVID vaccines

June 5, 2025

On May 27, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced that the COVID vaccine would no longer be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women. In this episode of The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Public Health on Call, vaccine policy expert Sarah Depres unpacks the announcement and discusses how it differs from past policy changes, and its potential impact on Americans.

Note: CDC's latest guidance for the COVID-19 vaccine--published on May 29--continues to include the COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 6 months to 18 years, despite earlier remarks from the Health Secretary. While the latest CDC language clarifies CDC recommendations for healthy children older than 6 months, as of May 30th, there's no formal updated recommendation for healthy pregnant patients.

Length: 19 minutes

Key takeaways

1. The policy change bypassed ACIP. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children or pregnant women—without input from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – breaking from the standard, evidence-based process that ensures transparency and public trust. The announcement didn’t distinguish between booster and primary series recommendations and offered no supporting data, contrasting with CDC’s usual practice of publishing detailed rationale in the MMWR.

2. Insurance coverage may be affected. Removing vaccines from the recommended schedule could jeopardize coverage under Medicaid, Medicare, and the Vaccines for Children program, creating new barriers to access.

3. Pregnant women and infants may face increased risk. The decision contradicts FDA guidance that identifies pregnancy as a high-risk condition for COVID-19. Vaccination during pregnancy protects both mother and infant, and major medical societies continue to recommend it.

4. Future vaccine policy is uncertain. With no CDC director currently in place, future vaccine decisions may rest solely with the secretary, raising concerns about consistency, scientific rigor, and public confidence.

Source:

Smith Rogers, L. (Host). (2025, June 3). Public Health on Call with The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 901- Changing Recommendations for COVID Vaccines [Podcast]. https://johnshopkinssph.libsyn.com/901-changing-recommendations-for-covid-vaccines