Welcome to The Logoff: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is dropping a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that healthy pregnant people and children receive the Covid-19 vaccine, a concerning sign for vaccine availability and the nation’s public health agencies.
What happened today? Kennedy, the Health and Human Services secretary, said in a video posted to X on Tuesday morning that the Covid vaccine would no longer be included in the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for healthy pregnant people and children. Pregnancy can lead to elevated risks from Covid-19, and very young babies (who can be protected if their mother is vaccinated during pregnancy) also have higher rates of hospitalization.
What does that actually mean for vaccine availability? Though the change won’t directly prevent anyone from receiving the vaccine, it will almost certainly make it harder to access by creating new cost barriers. Insurers are required to cover recommended vaccines but not others, and a Covid vaccine costs about $140 out of pocket.
What else should I know about the change? Tuesday’s announcement represents an end-run around normal policy process for vaccine recommendations in the US, experts told Stat News. While Covid vaccine recommendations were already under review, Kennedy appears to have circumvented the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in making his announcement Tuesday, contrary to a promise he made when he was up for Senate confirmation earlier this year.
What’s the big picture? RFK Jr. has a long history of anti-vaccine advocacy; his decision to alter recommendations around the Covid vaccine without full input from nonpartisan experts at the CDC represents a concerning politicization of public health, one that could have health consequences for Americans.
