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Health and Human Services Changes Vaccine Recommendations in 2025
In 2025, Health and Human Services (HHS) has implemented changes in vaccine recommendations for the COVID vaccines, the MMRV combination vaccine, and potentially the Hepatitis B vaccine. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has aligned with Big Pharma to incentivize blue states to defy the CDC’s vaccine recommendation changes, and the AAP has stated intent to lobby against religious exemptions. Now more than ever, parents and consumers need to do their own risk-benefit analysis of each of the 70 doses of recommended vaccines in the U.S.
COVID Vaccine Not Recommended for Children and Pregnant Women
In May 2025, the CDC changed the recommendation for the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. According to The Defender,
“Instead of a universal recommendation that all children ages 6 months and older receive the COVID-19 shots, the CDC now recommends ‘shared clinical decision-making’ between parents and providers for children ages 6 months to 17 years who are not moderately immunocompromised. That means that parents and providers can decide together whether a child should take the shot based on the child’s health status and parents’ preferences.”
However, some doctors caution that immune compromised children could have a more severe reaction to vaccines.
For people who want the COVID vaccine, it is still covered by health insurance and free vaccine programs.
This change should protect pediatricians from being compelled to order the COVID vaccine under threat of disciplinary action for not ordering it, and the change should promote risk-benefit conversations. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) swiftly responded in backlash to keep selling the COVID vaccine to children.
AAP Leads Lawsuit to Keep Selling COVID Vaccines to All People
In July 2025, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against HHS and HHS Secretary Kennedy demanding the recommendation of the COVID vaccine to children and pregnant women and reinstatement to the CDC immunization schedule.
The Defender reported the AAP has a financial conflict of interest:
“But according to Kim Mack Rosenberg, general counsel for Children’s Health Defense (CHD), ‘The medical cartel — funded extensively by the pharmaceutical industry — has a tremendous financial incentive to preserve the status quo.’
Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., senior research scientist for CHD, noted that the lawsuit ‘fails to mention that several plaintiffs, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, received millions of dollars from the CDC to promote COVID-19 injections.’”
AAP Calls for the End of Religious Exemptions
The AAP doubled down and publicly called for the end of religious exemptions for vaccines. The Defender published “American Academy of Pediatrics Wants to Shut Down Religious Vaccine Exemptions.”
Kim Mack Rosenberg, general counsel for Children’s Health Defense, said, “The AAP’s statement calling for an end to religious exemptions to immunization ignores constitutionally protected rights regarding religious freedom and potentially is in violation of other laws as well. AAP blatantly suggests that schools discriminate against families with faith-based reasons to not take some or all vaccines.”
Lead author in Pediatrics for the AAP policy statement Dr. Jesse Hackell said, “We recommend that vaccination is required for participation in certain public activities, such as school and daycare, and if you choose not to vaccinate, you’re essentially choosing to exclude yourself from those settings.” The AAP is advocating for societal segregation for any person who opts out of any one vaccine, with over 70 doses now recommended for U.S. children.
The AAP takes the position that medical exemptions are “legitimate” and non-medical exemptions are “problematic.” The AAP’s policy statement asserts that medical exemptions “do not have a significant impact on overall community vaccination coverage,” while omitting that the AAP imposes sanctions for doctors who write medical exemptions. Essentially, the AAP policy is advocating for zero exemptions by calling for the end of parents’ religious exemptions after years of restricting doctors from approving medical exemptions.
AAP & Blue States Defy CDC and Make Rogue Vaccine Recommendations
In August 2025, for the first time in 30 years, the AAP made a recommendation for infants and children in direct conflict with the CDC.
According to The Defender, the AAP’s new “evidence-based immunization schedule” recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all children between 6 and 23 months of age, and for all children and adolescents 2-18 years old. The AAP also recommends annual flu shots for all children starting at 6 months old, and RSV vaccination for infants up to 19 months of age.
The AAP is a lobbying organization and is financially sponsored by Eli Lilly, GSK, Merck, Moderna and Sanofi. The Defender reported that the “AAP, which represents 67,000 pediatricians in the U.S., received $34,974,759 in government grants during the 2023 fiscal year” to promote childhood vaccines.
The Defender also reported that most of the blue states have enacted laws (Colorado HB1027), executive orders, or standing orders to continue to sell COVID vaccines to all ages (population-wide) despite the limited use (high-risk) authorized in CDC recommendations. In the red state of Florida, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced Florida will end all vaccine mandates, including for schools.
New CDC Vaccine Advisors Make Changes
In June 2025, HHS Secretary Kennedy appointed new members to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) committee and removed the participation of all organizations who had financial bias in favor of pharmaceutical companies: the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American College of Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, American Osteopathic Association, National Medical Association, and National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
In September 2025, the new ACIP committee made three key decisions, according to The Defender:
The universal Hep B vaccine for infants is controversial as explained in The Defender:
“Hepatitis B, a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus, is transmitted through bodily fluids — typically by sexual contact or shared needles. Being an IV drug user is the most common risk factor for the disease. Infected pregnant mothers can pass the disease to their infants, but this is rare.”
Conclusion
The CDC ACIP has several remaining concerns with vaccines. Members are concerned that the U.S. does not have a reliable surveillance system for vaccine reactions, specifically myocarditis in young people and birth defects from the COVID vaccines. Members are concerned that vaccines are recommended for pregnant women, and yet safety studies are not conducted in pregnant women. Members are concerned that the Vaccine Information Sheets (VIS) do not give proper informed consent on vaccine risks.
The CDC has lost public trust, and HHS Secretary Kennedy has implemented changes to restore evidence-based recommendations while removing the interference of pharmaceutical companies on federal agency decisions. This year, key personnel at the CDC have been fired or quit. CDC Director Monarez was fired, and the CDC chief medical officer Dr. Houry resigned. Dr. Panagiotakopoulos, the CDC advisor who promoted the COVID vaccine to pregnant women, resigned from her CDC ACIP working group.
One side claims this is a “war on science;” while the other side champions informed, voluntary consent for vaccines which are the only drugs in the U.S. that are completely shielded from liability.
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By Kim MonsonIn 2025, Health and Human Services (HHS) has implemented changes in vaccine recommendations for the COVID vaccines, the MMRV combination vaccine, and potentially the Hepatitis B vaccine. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has aligned with Big Pharma to incentivize blue states to defy the CDC’s vaccine recommendation changes, and the AAP has stated intent to lobby against religious exemptions. Now more than ever, parents and consumers need to do their own risk-benefit analysis of each of the 70 doses of recommended vaccines in the U.S.
COVID Vaccine Not Recommended for Children and Pregnant Women
In May 2025, the CDC changed the recommendation for the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. According to The Defender,
“Instead of a universal recommendation that all children ages 6 months and older receive the COVID-19 shots, the CDC now recommends ‘shared clinical decision-making’ between parents and providers for children ages 6 months to 17 years who are not moderately immunocompromised. That means that parents and providers can decide together whether a child should take the shot based on the child’s health status and parents’ preferences.”
However, some doctors caution that immune compromised children could have a more severe reaction to vaccines.
For people who want the COVID vaccine, it is still covered by health insurance and free vaccine programs.
This change should protect pediatricians from being compelled to order the COVID vaccine under threat of disciplinary action for not ordering it, and the change should promote risk-benefit conversations. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) swiftly responded in backlash to keep selling the COVID vaccine to children.
AAP Leads Lawsuit to Keep Selling COVID Vaccines to All People
In July 2025, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against HHS and HHS Secretary Kennedy demanding the recommendation of the COVID vaccine to children and pregnant women and reinstatement to the CDC immunization schedule.
The Defender reported the AAP has a financial conflict of interest:
“But according to Kim Mack Rosenberg, general counsel for Children’s Health Defense (CHD), ‘The medical cartel — funded extensively by the pharmaceutical industry — has a tremendous financial incentive to preserve the status quo.’
Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., senior research scientist for CHD, noted that the lawsuit ‘fails to mention that several plaintiffs, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, received millions of dollars from the CDC to promote COVID-19 injections.’”
AAP Calls for the End of Religious Exemptions
The AAP doubled down and publicly called for the end of religious exemptions for vaccines. The Defender published “American Academy of Pediatrics Wants to Shut Down Religious Vaccine Exemptions.”
Kim Mack Rosenberg, general counsel for Children’s Health Defense, said, “The AAP’s statement calling for an end to religious exemptions to immunization ignores constitutionally protected rights regarding religious freedom and potentially is in violation of other laws as well. AAP blatantly suggests that schools discriminate against families with faith-based reasons to not take some or all vaccines.”
Lead author in Pediatrics for the AAP policy statement Dr. Jesse Hackell said, “We recommend that vaccination is required for participation in certain public activities, such as school and daycare, and if you choose not to vaccinate, you’re essentially choosing to exclude yourself from those settings.” The AAP is advocating for societal segregation for any person who opts out of any one vaccine, with over 70 doses now recommended for U.S. children.
The AAP takes the position that medical exemptions are “legitimate” and non-medical exemptions are “problematic.” The AAP’s policy statement asserts that medical exemptions “do not have a significant impact on overall community vaccination coverage,” while omitting that the AAP imposes sanctions for doctors who write medical exemptions. Essentially, the AAP policy is advocating for zero exemptions by calling for the end of parents’ religious exemptions after years of restricting doctors from approving medical exemptions.
AAP & Blue States Defy CDC and Make Rogue Vaccine Recommendations
In August 2025, for the first time in 30 years, the AAP made a recommendation for infants and children in direct conflict with the CDC.
According to The Defender, the AAP’s new “evidence-based immunization schedule” recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all children between 6 and 23 months of age, and for all children and adolescents 2-18 years old. The AAP also recommends annual flu shots for all children starting at 6 months old, and RSV vaccination for infants up to 19 months of age.
The AAP is a lobbying organization and is financially sponsored by Eli Lilly, GSK, Merck, Moderna and Sanofi. The Defender reported that the “AAP, which represents 67,000 pediatricians in the U.S., received $34,974,759 in government grants during the 2023 fiscal year” to promote childhood vaccines.
The Defender also reported that most of the blue states have enacted laws (Colorado HB1027), executive orders, or standing orders to continue to sell COVID vaccines to all ages (population-wide) despite the limited use (high-risk) authorized in CDC recommendations. In the red state of Florida, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced Florida will end all vaccine mandates, including for schools.
New CDC Vaccine Advisors Make Changes
In June 2025, HHS Secretary Kennedy appointed new members to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) committee and removed the participation of all organizations who had financial bias in favor of pharmaceutical companies: the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American College of Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, American Osteopathic Association, National Medical Association, and National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
In September 2025, the new ACIP committee made three key decisions, according to The Defender:
The universal Hep B vaccine for infants is controversial as explained in The Defender:
“Hepatitis B, a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus, is transmitted through bodily fluids — typically by sexual contact or shared needles. Being an IV drug user is the most common risk factor for the disease. Infected pregnant mothers can pass the disease to their infants, but this is rare.”
Conclusion
The CDC ACIP has several remaining concerns with vaccines. Members are concerned that the U.S. does not have a reliable surveillance system for vaccine reactions, specifically myocarditis in young people and birth defects from the COVID vaccines. Members are concerned that vaccines are recommended for pregnant women, and yet safety studies are not conducted in pregnant women. Members are concerned that the Vaccine Information Sheets (VIS) do not give proper informed consent on vaccine risks.
The CDC has lost public trust, and HHS Secretary Kennedy has implemented changes to restore evidence-based recommendations while removing the interference of pharmaceutical companies on federal agency decisions. This year, key personnel at the CDC have been fired or quit. CDC Director Monarez was fired, and the CDC chief medical officer Dr. Houry resigned. Dr. Panagiotakopoulos, the CDC advisor who promoted the COVID vaccine to pregnant women, resigned from her CDC ACIP working group.
One side claims this is a “war on science;” while the other side champions informed, voluntary consent for vaccines which are the only drugs in the U.S. that are completely shielded from liability.