RFK Jr. limits who is eligible for COVID shots

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a series of moves Wednesday that will limit who is eligible for COVID vaccines even though the stratus variant is surging.Why it matters: Patients who now want to get the COVID vaccines will first have to consult with their doctor rather than booking directly with a pharmacy, adding another step to the process.What he's saying: "The emergency use authorizations for Covid vaccines, once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration, are now rescinded," Kennedy wrote on X. The FDA and White House did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment. State of play: The FDA approved an updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for adults 65 and older.Younger people, between 5 and 64, are eligible if they have at least one underlying health condition putting them at high risk for severe outcomes from the virus."FDA has now issued marketing authorization for those at higher risk: Moderna (6+ months), Pfizer (5+), and Novavax (12+)," Kennedy said. Pfizer said in a statement that this season's COVID-19 vaccine will begin shipping immediately and be available in pharmacies, hospitals and clinics across the U.S. in the coming days.What we're watching: An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to vote within weeks to recommend COVID vaccines. It's unclear whether insurance plans will continue to largely cover the vaccine. It's also not immediately clear whether doctors will be willing to prescribe the shots to kids under 5 who don't have an underlying condition.Zoom out: This will be the first fall and winter season without widespread COVID recommendations since the vaccines were introduced for general use.The American Academy of Pediatrics diverged from the CDC earlier this month, recommending COVID shots for children between 6 months and 2 years old. The Trump administration also recently pulled funding for the development of mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines, which were crucial in the response to COVID-19.Zoom in: The CDC's 2025 list of underlying medical conditions that increase risk of severe COVID-19 included asthma, cancer, kidney disease, heart conditions, HIV, certain mental health deficiencies, physical inactivity and smoking.Flashback: The FDA a year ago authorized updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines for adults and kids as young as six months old.Go deeper: COVID vaccine policy remains cloudy as cases riseEditor's note: This story has been updated with details throughout.

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