Officials from three states said on June 12 that pregnant women should still be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines, diverging from updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health officials with California, Oregon, and Washington state said in a joint statement that they “continue to recommend all individuals age 6 months and older should have access and the choice to receive currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines, with an emphasis on protecting higher risk individuals, such as infants and toddlers, pregnant individuals, and others with risks for serious disease.”
The CDC in May updated its immunization schedule for adults, removing a COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for pregnant women. Insurers typically only cover vaccines that are on immunization schedules, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians and other organizations.
The CDC also removed a recommendation for healthy children to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, although the childhood immunization schedule states that “where the parent presents with a desire for their child to be vaccinated, children 6 months and older may receive COVID-19 vaccination, informed by the clinical judgment of a healthcare provider and personal preference and circumstances.”
Officials have for several years been directing vaccine manufacturers to update their formulations on an annual basis. The CDC had been advising people to receive a shot each year, regardless of prior vaccination and infection.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the changes were made because there is no clinical data to support a “repeat booster strategy.”
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