U.S. Scales Back COVID Vaccine Recommendations for Healthy Children and Adults

The U.S. government has officially scaled back its COVID-19 vaccination guidance, no longer recommending routine shots for healthy infants, children, and adults under 65 without risk factors. According to new guidelines released Tuesday by the Trump administration and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), updated COVID-19 vaccines will now be prioritized for seniors and individuals with underlying health conditions.

The FDA outlined the revised approach in a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine and during a webcast presentation. Officials confirmed that while simplified vaccine access will continue for high-risk groups—such as adults over 65 and medically vulnerable younger people—vaccine manufacturers must now conduct more robust, longer-term studies before shots are authorized for the broader, healthier population.

This marks a significant shift from previous federal policy, which had recommended annual COVID-19 vaccinations for all Americans aged six months and older.

Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s new top vaccine official, described the update as a “reasonable compromise.” He emphasized that over 100 million Americans will still qualify for boosters under the revised guidance but stressed the lack of clear evidence supporting repeat doses for healthy individuals. “For many Americans we simply do not know the answer as to whether or not they should be getting the seventh or eighth or ninth or tenth COVID-19 booster,” said Prasad, who has been a longtime critic of the FDA’s past vaccine strategies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 47,000 Americans died from COVID-related causes in 2023, though the majority of those cases involved people with significant risk factors.

Health authorities continue to debate the long-term role of COVID vaccinations. The CDC’s advisory panel is expected to convene in June to determine which groups should receive updated vaccines going forward.