The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is preparing to withdraw federal recommendations that children and pregnant women receive routine COVID-19 vaccinations, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a division of HHS, currently advises that everyone aged six months and older receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine. However, that broad guidance may soon be revised.
The expected move would depart from the one-size-fits-all vaccination strategy promoted during the early years of the pandemic, including during Operation Warp Speed. Instead, health officials may begin advising Americans to consult with their doctors about the risks and benefits of COVID vaccination based on individual needs.
It remains unclear whether the recommendation will be dropped entirely or simply scaled back. Sources cited by WSJ say a final decision has not yet been made public.
The change comes as vaccination rates among children and pregnant women remain low. CDC data from April shows that only 13% of children and 14% of pregnant women have received the updated shot.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, speaking Thursday at a legal conference, said the agency wants to focus on making vaccines available to those most at risk and emphasized the need for stronger clinical data going forward. “We want some good science,” Makary stated.
HHS Secretary Kennedy, a long-time critic of mRNA vaccines and mass vaccination campaigns, now has the authority to update or rescind CDC recommendations. The agency is also undergoing a major reorganization under his leadership, which includes staffing changes and a new vaccine approval framework expected from the FDA in the coming week.
Critics argue the policy change could discourage vaccination among vulnerable groups. Supporters say it corrects course after years of government overreach and restores decision-making to patients and doctors.
Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax—makers of the authorized COVID-19 shots in the U.S.—declined or did not respond to media requests for comment. HHS and the CDC also have not issued official statements on the matter.
The policy shift would mark a defining moment in the Trump administration’s evolving approach to pandemic-era health mandates, as federal leadership distances itself from the sweeping guidelines of the past.