Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has declared that Covid-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.
In a brief video posted on X, the health secretary stated he had removed Covid-19 shots from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for these groups.
The CDC has not commented on the announcement, referring inquiries to Kennedy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The announcement contradicts the stance of U.S. health officials, who have been advocating for annual Covid-19 boosters for all Americans aged six months and older, based on advice from infectious disease experts.
A CDC advisory panel is scheduled to convene in June to discuss recommendations for the autumn shots, with options including targeted vaccinations for high-risk groups while allowing lower-risk individuals the choice to get vaccinated.
But Kennedy, who was a leading anti-vaccine advocate before becoming health secretary, decided not to wait.
He said that annual Covid-19 booster shots have been recommended for children “despite the lack of any clinical data” to support that decision.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Jay Battacharya, head of the National Institutes of Health, appeared in the video with Kennedy.
The move comes as a new Covid variant proliferates around the U.S. Known as NB.1.8.1, the omicron variant has been tracked in states across the country following a large surge in China.
NB.1.8.1 has been designated a SARS-CoV-2 variant under monitoring, with increasing proportions globally, according to the World Health Organization. There are currently six tracked by the agency.
In Asia, it has resulted in increased hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
Kennedy and other Trump administration appointees have been moving to narrow Covid-19 vaccine recommendations and added restrictions to a recent vaccine approval.
Last week, the FDA announced routine Covid-19 vaccine approvals will be limited to seniors and younger people with underlying medical risks, pending new research for healthy adults and children.
HHS officials did not immediately respond to questions about why Kennedy decided to take the step now or release additional information about what went into the decision.
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