Washington state doctors, lawmakers question federal changes to Covid vaccine recs

In recent weeks, the federal government issued rapidly changing — and in some cases contradictory — guidance about who should get the Covid vaccine. Experts worry the new advice runs contrary to science and could lead to fewer people getting vaccinated, and insurance companies deciding not to cover the cost of the vaccine in some cases.

“The science really hasn't changed,” said Alisa Kachikis, a UW Medicine doctor who takes care of patients with high-risk pregnancies, and researches vaccines given during pregnancy. “The studies that we have show that Covid-19 vaccines are safe in pregnancy and effective in pregnancy.”

In two unusual moves that skirted the normal process for vaccine recommendations, both the FDA and the health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., weighed in on who should get a Covid vaccine — and, in the process, contradicted each other.

RELATED: COVID vaccine changes confuse and upset some parents and families

Since 2021, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee has recommended that all children over 6 months old get the Covid vaccine, including annual updates, and that pregnant women also get the annual shots. The committee is comprised of vaccine experts who review the available studies and data in public meetings before issuing recommendations.

“Getting the [updated Covid] vaccine is especially important if you are pregnant [or] breastfeeding,” the CDC website says in a January 2025 post. “Pregnant women are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared to women who are not pregnant. … Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you and your baby.”

But last week, Kennedy stepped in and asked the CDC to change those recommendations. Now, the CDC’s vaccine schedule says parents should consult with their child’s doctor about getting the Covid vaccine. That makes it difficult for many children to get their shots at a pharmacy, depending on their states’ regulations for pharmacists.

And the new recommendation for pregnant people is listed as “no guidance/not applicable.”

RELATED: White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' report

In a video posted on X, Kennedy said there’s not enough data to support giving healthy children annual Covid shots. He did not explain the reason for changing the guidance for pregnant women.

In response to the new CDC guidance, Washington’s health department is now advising that “pregnant people should speak with their provider to determine if receiving a COVID-19 vaccine is best for them,” an agency spokesperson said.

Dr. Kachikis is one of those providers — and she is still strongly recommending that her patients get vaccinated. She said that recommendation is based on the advice from the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, guidance from the professional organization of ob/gyns in the U.S., and many, many studies looking at the safety and efficacy of the Covid vaccine during pregnancy.

“Pregnant individuals [who got Covid] were more likely to be hospitalized, be in the ICU, be intubated, and unfortunately, some passed away … at higher rates than … people who were not pregnant,” she said. “People who are vaccinated do much, much better with SARS-COV2 infection than people who are not vaccinated.”

And, she said, there’s an additional benefit from vaccinating pregnant people. They pass some immunity on to their baby.

“Especially for infants less than 6 months, the babies are actually more protected against being hospitalized … if their mothers have received a COVID-19 vaccine,” she said.

RELATED: RFK Jr. says Covid shots no longer recommended for kids, pregnant women

Washington Congresswoman Kim Schrier wants to make it more difficult for the health secretary to intervene in the federal government’s vaccine recommendations. She and another Democratic representative from New Jersey are introducing legislation to make the recommendations of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee the final word, with few exceptions.

“When they say a vaccine is recommended, that has impacts,” Schrier said in a press conference Wednesday. “That affects whether schools have a requirement for that vaccine. It also affects whether insurance companies pay for that vaccine.”

Schrier is a pediatrician who represents a swathe of Western Washington that includes Sammamish, Issaquah, and Wenatchee.

Her bill also stipulates that if the health secretary wants to override the CDC vaccine committee’s recommendations, they’d have to say why.

“Who would have thought we would need a bill like this that says, ‘You know, the people on this committee ought to be scientists. The people on this committee should be vetted. The recommendations made by this committee can't be just disregarded because RFK Jr disagrees and wants to shoot from the hip and make his own recommendations,’” Schrier said.

Schrier is concerned not only about the effect of Kennedy’s actions on vaccine confidence; she’s also worried about insurance coverage. Since insurance companies generally cover vaccines on the CDC immunization schedule, it is unclear whether they will continue to cover Covid vaccines for pregnant people. Covid vaccines for children will still be covered under the CDC’s Vaccines for Children program, “after a shared clinical decision with their healthcare provider.”