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Policies & Analysis

Learn more about the policies and actions taken by the Trump-Vance administration, and how they threaten communities, freedoms, and democracy.

The Trump-Vance Administration is trying to

Make it harder for children and pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine

What we know

HHS Secretary Kennedy announced that the CDC no longer recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women, making the shots harder for patients to access.

Formal Name

Secretarial Directive on Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Less Than 18 Years of Age and Pregnant Women

Status
Challenged
Formal Identifier

May 27, 2025

Anticipated Impact

In May 2025, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the CDC had removed the COVID-19 vaccine from the recommended immunization schedules for children and pregnant women. The reversal on vaccine recommendations makes it harder for pregnant patients to access the shots, especially in the more than half of U.S. states where the authority of pharmacists to offer vaccines is tied to federal immunization recommendations. Just days later, Secretary Kennedy doubled down on his anti-vaccine position, removing 17 independent vaccine experts from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

By the Numbers

Partner Analysis

People are fighting back

How communities are responding

Democracy 2025 and our partners are ready to counter threats to people's rights, justice, and equality in courtrooms and communities across the country. Learn more about how people and communities are responding to this harmful policy:

No legal actions available.

Join the Fight for Democracy

Help us counter unlawful, anti-democratic actions from the Trump-Vance administration and protect people, freedom, and justice.

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