Youri Benadjaoud and Will McDuffie
RFK Jr. cuts COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for healthy kids, pregnant women ABC News’ Dr. Darien Sutton discusses the move which could alter guidance for doctors as well as some insurance coverage.
An official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who oversaw the agency’s recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines has resigned, following a week of mixed messaging from federal health officials over who would be eligible for the shots.
“My career in public health and vaccinology started with a deep-seated desire to help the most vulnerable members of our population, and that is not something I am able to continue doing in this role,” Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos wrote in her resignation letter obtained by ABC News. In her letter, Panagiotakopoulos said she resigned last Friday.
Reuters first reported her resignation.
Panagiotakopoulos co-led a part of the CDC’s independent panel of vaccine advisers to review evidence for recommendations on COVID vaccines. In mid-April, the advisers had discussed the possibility of narrowing the recommendations for who should receive an annual COVID vaccine — prioritizing those at higher risk such as adults over 65 or those with an underlying condition.
Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the removal of COVID vaccines from the immunization schedule for healthy children and healthy pregnant women.
Later on Friday, the CDC updated the immunization schedule allowing all children to be eligible to receive COVID vaccines, now under a shared clinical decision-making model, which means parents can choose to get their children vaccinated with the advice of a doctor.
MORE: Why healthy children may need vaccination as RFK Jr. cuts COVID shot recommendation for some kids
The mixed messages prompted concern from some medical organizations.
“American families deserve better,” the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said, in part, in a statement. “They deserve clear messages from all involved in their health, that are based on facts so they can continue to benefit from the success story of vaccines.”