About this episode:

Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced that the COVID vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women. In this episode: a vaccine policy expert unpacks the announcement — how it differs from past policy changes, and its potential impact on Americans. Note: This episode was recorded on May 28, 2025.

Guest:

Sarah Despres has over 25 years of experience in public health policy and advocacy and is an expert on immunization policy. She has served on the HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee from 2012-2017. She has also served on the board of Vaccinate Your Family, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring children and adults have access to vaccines.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

• U.S. Will No Longer Recommend Covid Shots for Children and Pregnant Women—The New York Times

• Who Decides Which Vaccines Americans Should Get and When?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (March 2025)

• Pediatric COVID Vaccines—Public Health On Call (May 2025)

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