COVID vaccine not needed for kids, pregnant women, US says. What to know

• The US has stopped recommending COVID-19 vaccination for healthy pregnant women and children
• Physicians say the policy shift may dissuade many from the immunizations
• Michigan urges residents to ‘use the tools available to them’ to fight respiratory infections, including vaccines 

Federal health officials are no longer recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy pregnant women and children. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is removing the vaccine from its recommended immunization schedule.

“We’re now one step closer to realizing President Trump’s promise to make America healthy again,” Kennedy said in a video posted on X.

The removal of the vaccines marks a shift in federal health policy — the CDC had recommended the vaccines to both groups after the treatment was first made publicly available.

Physicians who work with children and pregnant patients expressed concern the policy shift may dissuade many from the immunizations, while creating new insurance coverage barriers for those that continue to seek the vaccinations.

“It is very clear that COVID infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families,” said Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in a statement responding to the HHS announcement.

“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.”

What does this mean for Michigan?

While more than 20 million doses of COVID vaccine have been administered in Michigan since the onset of the pandemic, immunization rates have waned in recent years.

According to the latest data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, about 12% of the state’s residents — about 1.2 million people — have received an updated COVID vaccination within the last year in line with CDC guidelines, with those 65 years and older accounting for most of the dosages.

“Michigan has not received formal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on updated COVID-19 vaccine recommendation,” Lynn Sutfin, a state health department spokesperson, said in a statement. 

“We continue to urge all Michigan residents to use the tools available to them as they make decisions in protecting themselves and their families from all respiratory viruses. At this time, that includes taking preventative measures such as testing and getting vaccinated for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV if they are eligible.”

Related:

• Nessel sues as Trump health cuts hit Michigan disease, addiction programs
• COVID deaths decline steeply in 2024; spread muted so far in winter
• Michigan public health labs try to adjust after loss of federal funds

Michigan recorded four COVID-related deaths in children ages 14 and younger in 2024,  compared with the peak of 16 in 2022. Total COVID deaths in Michigan fell to 1,503 last year. 

By comparison, in 2021, more than 15,000 people in Michigan died of the disease. The vast majority of fatalities were people ages 65 and older.

What doctors say

Physicians including Dr. Mark Hamed, who directs the emergency department at McKenzie Health System's hospital in Sandusky, say they've seen fewer infections since the height of the public health crisis.

“We're at a place now where COVID still does get people sick, but because we see more with those who have underlying chronic conditions or high-risk individuals with health conditions, it makes sense now to have those guidelines to not recommend it for everybody anymore as a kind of blanket recommendation,” Hamed told Bridge Michigan.

Though vaccines have proven to be effective in reducing the chance of and severity of illnesses including COVID-19, Hamed said messaging on immunization can be handled better by physicians and public health agencies moving forward.

“I am supportive of talking to your health care provider about your risk factors and your needs for any intervention, including vaccines,” Hamed said. “Health care providers know you better than anybody else, better than any recommendation knows you.”

Others highlight how the change in federal policy potentially impacts children across the board.  

“We forget sometimes that even though COVID illness tends to be mild in children, kids are new to the world,” said Dr. Molly O’Shea, a pediatrician with practices in Oakland and Macomb counties. “To remove from the opportunity, remove from the cafeteria of options, the opportunity to receive vaccine as the first exposure to COVID is also unfair and unkind and unhealthy for our kids.”

O’Shea said she fears the policy will have a broader “chilling effect” to anybody who is seeking a vaccine.

“If I’m a pharma company making vaccine, I’m not going to make as much because only a tiny fraction of people are going to be eligible for vaccine now,” said O’Shea. She explained that doctors who choose to administer the vaccine “off-label” to healthy pregnant women and children could run the risk of increased legal scrutiny, leading to less vaccine coverage overall.