and US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is rolling back COVID vaccine requirements for kids and pregnant women The federal government announced today it's removing COVID 19 vaccines from a list of shots recommended for healthy children and expecting mothers Public health experts say the decision will make it harder for those groups to get vaccinated against the virus because insurance companies will likely no longer pay for them Kennedy made the announcement today with a video posted to the social media platform X alongside the heads of the FDA and the National Institute for Health who called it quote common sense and good science but didn't offer any scientific evidence to justify the change Studies have found that pregnant women and their babies are considered at higher risk for severe complications from CO 19 infections The decision also appears to bypass the government's typical process for evaluating and recommending vaccines through the CDC's influential guidance