Doctors Worried About Health of Mothers & Children after HHS Covid-19 Vaccine Announcement

On Tuesday, the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that the COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be among the recommended vaccines for pregnant women and healthy children on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) immunization schedule. Kennedy made the announcement in a one-minute video posted on X. 

The officials claimed no evidence exists that healthy children need the vaccine. However, 41% of children ages 6 months to 17 years hospitalized with COVID-19 from October 2022 to April 2024 did not have a known underlying condition, according to (CDC) data.

The decision to exclude healthy people who are pregnant means infants under 6 months no longer would have protection despite having COVID-19 hospitalization rates similar to people ages 65-74 years. It also leaves pregnant people vulnerable, as the CDC considers pregnancy a risk factor for severe disease.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)’s President Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, MD, FACOG, responded to Kennedy’s announcement with this statement: “ACOG is concerned about and extremely disappointed by the announcement that HHS will no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. As ob-gyns who treat patients every day, we have seen firsthand how dangerous COVID-19 infection can be during pregnancy and for newborns who depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection. We also understand that despite the change in recommendations from HHS, the science has not changed. It is very clear that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and vaccination can protect our patients and their infants after birth.

“In fact, growing evidence shows just how much vaccination during pregnancy protects the infant after birth, with the vast majority of hospitalized infants less than six months of age—those who are not yet eligible for vaccination—born to unvaccinated mothers.

“Following this announcement, we are worried about our patients in the future, who may be less likely to choose vaccination during pregnancy despite the clear and definitive evidence demonstrating its benefit. We are concerned about access implications and what this recommendation will mean for insurance coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine for those who do choose to get vaccinated during pregnancy. And as ob-gyns, we are very concerned about the potential deterioration of vaccine confidence in the future.”

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) leaders said the federal government’s removal of COVID-19 vaccines from the routine immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women ignores independent medical experts and leaves children at risk.

“By removing the recommendation, the decision could strip families of choice,” said Sean T. O’Leary, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. “Those who want to vaccinate may no longer be able to, as the implications for insurance coverage and access remain unclear. … What is clear is that pregnant women, infants and young children are at higher risk of hospitalization from COVID-19, and the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine has been widely demonstrated.”

Last week, a CDC expert also said COVID-19 “is a major cause of pediatric hospitalizations, particularly in children under 2 (years), many of whom don’t have any underlying medical conditions.”

An AAP analysis of data collected by HHS found that 11,199 children were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 during the 2024-’25 respiratory virus season, 7,746 of whom were under the age of 5.