Three More States Diverge From CDC On COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

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.”

Wisconsin officials soon after said they were keeping in place COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for all individuals aged 6 months and older. Kirsten Johnson, Wisconsin’s health secretary, said that the current version of the vaccine “continues to be an important tool in preventing severe illness and death.” The Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services has not responded to requests for citations.

“Under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy, HHS is restoring the doctor-patient relationship. If a parent desires their healthy child to be vaccinated, their decision should be based on informed consent through the clinical judgement of their healthcare provider,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told The Epoch Times in an email.

“Secretary Kennedy has been clear: rebuilding trust in public health starts with transparency, medical autonomy, and access to unbiased information. Americans deserve to make health decisions based on their individual circumstances—not under pressure from politicized institutions or rigid, one-size-fits-all mandates.”

In the new statement, California, Oregon, and Washington state officials said that they “are committed to continuing to work with medical experts, professional organizations, and public health partners to ensure our recommendations reflect the best available science and safeguard the health of all of our residents.”

The officials noted that some medical groups, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recently expressed concern over the CDC’s removal of the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for pregnant women.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and vaccination can protect our patients and their infants after birth,” Dr. Steven Fleischman, president of the college, said in a statement.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which clears vaccines, says in package inserts for the three available COVID-19 vaccines that available data on the shots administered to pregnant women “are insufficient to inform vaccine-associated risks in pregnancy.” Known side effects of the vaccines include heart inflammation and severe allergic shock.

Apart from differing over the updated advice for pregnant women, the state officials said they are advising people to follow the CDC immunization schedules.