CDC Removes Covid Vaccine from Routine Schedule: Experts Debate the Decision

The CDC's decision to remove the Covid-19 vaccine from its routine immunization schedule for children and pregnant women has sparked a heated debate. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the change on May 27, 2025, but the move has raised concerns among some experts. "Bottom line: it's common sense and it's good science," Kennedy wrote on X, according to the video. However, data cited in the video shows that for children under five, two or more doses of the Covid vaccine were approximately 40% effective in preventing emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Dr. Michael Mina, a former Harvard epidemiology professor, suggests that children's immune systems may not retain the benefits of annual Covid shots. Conversely, health officials argue that updated vaccines are important as new variants continue to emerge. The video also notes that pregnant women remain a high-risk group for severe Covid, and vaccination during pregnancy can pass protective antibodies to the baby. The decision comes just weeks before a scheduled CDC advisory vote on updated Covid booster recommendations, raising questions about whether standard scientific processes were followed.