Pharmacy Group Declines to Endorse CDC’s Updated Vaccine Guidelines After Pregnancy Recommendation Removed

Pharmacy Group Declines to Endorse CDC’s Updated Vaccine Guidelines After Pregnancy Recommendation Removed

(Reuters) – The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has announced it will not endorse the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest immunization schedule, following the removal of a recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.

Last month, the CDC updated its guidance, stating that COVID-19 vaccines remain an option for healthy children if parents and healthcare providers mutually agree on its necessity. The change was first revealed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, who currently oversees the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In a statement released on Monday, the APhA emphasized that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has been proven to be both safe and effective. The association also clarified that the vaccine has no link to infertility in either women or men.

“Pregnancy is a high-risk condition, and those who are pregnant should be recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” the APhA stated, expressing concern over the exclusion of pregnant individuals from the CDC’s updated vaccination schedule.

The association’s decision to withhold support underscores growing tensions within the healthcare community about the role of politics and scientific consensus in shaping public health guidelines.