FDA approves updated covid vaccines, but with severe new limits
On Wednesday, the FDA approved the new round of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax for use by seniors over the age of 65. But for anyone younger than that, the FDA approval only mentions people who have “at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.” It also removed one option for children entirely, revoking the Pfizer vaccine’s emergency use authorization for children under 5.
Shortly after the FDA announced the new guidelines, a report from The Washington Post said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ousted its director, Susan Monarez. That was confirmed in a post on X by the Department of Health and Human Services, which is now led by longtime anti-vaccine crusader, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, Mark Zaid, who said he is one of the lawyers representing Monarez, responded by posting, “Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor yet been fired. She will not resign,” and the following statement:
The Post says Monarez was “pressed for days” by Kennedy about whether she would support reworking the FDA’s policies. The Post reports that “at least three top CDC officials” have announced plans to resign, including Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Debra Houry, chief medical officer.
After previewing the update in May, the government removed healthy pregnant people and children from its list of people recommended to receive the covid vaccine, which CNN reports has already prevented some people from getting vaccinated.
In a tweet, Kennedy claims the actions will “keep vaccines available to people who want them, especially the vulnerable,” however, they could now require millions of Americans to prove they are at risk, putting an additional hurdle in the way of getting vaccinated.
The New York Times reports that an upcoming CDC decision could impact availability and access at drugstore sites, as laws in some states require the CDC’s recommendation for pharmacy staff to administer the shots. As we noted last month, Kennedy recently fired 17 people from the federal committee (ACIP) responsible for making vaccine recommendations.
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