WASHINGTON (May 29, 2025)--COVID vaccination shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, according to an announcement by RFK Jr, the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The decision which was announced earlier this week, sidestepped the usual practice of getting input from independent advisors at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Critics of the decision point out that research suggests that nearly everyone benefits from the shots including young children and pregnant women. Most children do not get seriously ill when they catch COVID but those who do can get very sick, experts note.
For pregnant women, a large meta-analysis in 2023 by Emily Smith, associate professor of global health at the George Washington University, and her colleagues showed that COVID was a threat during pregnancy and underscored the importance of protection.
“Our study provides the most comprehensive evidence to date suggesting that COVID-19 is a threat during pregnancy,” said Smith. “Our findings underscore the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for all women of childbearing age.
Smith’s study also suggested that despite the risks, many pregnant women are hesitant about getting the protective shots. The recent decision will make that hesitancy worse and make it hard to access the vaccines during pregnancy. Insurance companies may no longer pay for the shots despite the scientific evidence of their value, Smith points out.
To arrange an interview with Emily Smith, please contact Kathy Fackelmann, kfackelmann
gwu [dot] edu (kfackelmann[at]gwu[dot]edu) or Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn [dot] deckelbaumgwu [dot] edu.