Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Ends the Blanket Recommendation for the COVID Shot
On Tuesday, May 28, Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a landmark announcement: the blanket recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended immunization schedule.
This decision marks a major shift in federal health policy. "Bottom line: it’s common sense and it’s good science," Kennedy stated. The move is being hailed by many as a turning point in restoring medical integrity and empowering families to make more individualized healthcare choices. In Kennedy’s words, it brings the nation "one step closer to realizing @POTUS’s promise to Make America Healthy Again."
For decades, chronic illnesses in American children have been on the rise, while public health authorities appeared paralyzed—either unwilling or unable to question pharmaceutical consensus. Kennedy’s leadership represents a bold departure from this trend. Unlike his predecessors, he has committed to examining all factors contributing to poor public health, from overmedication to environmental toxins and regulatory capture.
Importantly, this decision aligns with statements from leading experts. “There’s no evidence healthy kids need it today, and most countries have stopped recommending it for children,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary1. Indeed, many peer nations had already rolled back COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for low-risk populations, citing low benefit-to-risk ratios and evolving scientific understanding23.
Kennedy has also raised concerns about the reliability of medical literature, stating, “We’re probably going to stop publishing in the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and those other journals because they’re all corrupt.” While a provocative statement, it underscores growing concerns over the influence of pharmaceutical funding on research integrity and publication bias4.
The significance of reversing a CDC vaccine recommendation cannot be overstated. Regulatory agencies rarely backtrack, and when they do, it signals a major recalibration of public policy. Most Americans follow the advice of these agencies without question. Removing this recommendation not only reflects updated science but also reaffirms the principle that medical decisions should be evidence-based, not politically or financially motivated.
For too long, regulatory bodies and legacy media outlets have abdicated their responsibility to protect the public. Instead, they allowed pharmaceutical interests to steer the conversation and policy, often to the detriment of public health—especially that of children. This policy reversal represents a rare moment of accountability.
Beyond vaccines, Kennedy has shown an interest in addressing the broader landscape of childhood illness. From advocating for the removal of harmful food dyes to pushing for corporate accountability, his approach suggests a long-overdue, holistic view of health. With rates of asthma, allergies, neurodevelopmental disorders, and obesity rising dramatically among children, Kennedy’s efforts to investigate and tackle root causes could finally put children’s health back on the national agenda.
This victory aligns with the mission of PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids): to protect the sovereignty of parental rights, protect children, safeguard their access to education, and uphold health freedom. In an era where families have been pressured to comply with sweeping mandates, PERK continues to stand as a strong advocate for informed consent, medical freedom, and individual choice—values that are now finally gaining national recognition.
This is more than a single policy change—it is a signal that science, transparency, and courage are returning to the conversation about public health. The decision to end blanket COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women may well be remembered as the first domino in a broader shift toward reasoned, ethical, and individualized healthcare in America.
— Amy Bohn, President of PERK
Footnotes
Makary, M. (2023). COVID Vaccines for Kids: The Scientific Debate. Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. ↩
UK Health Security Agency. (2022). COVID-19 vaccination: JCVI advice on children aged 5 to 11. ↩
Danish Health Authority. (2023). COVID-19 vaccination is no longer generally recommended for children. ↩
Smith, R. (2005). Medical journals are an extension of the marketing arm of pharmaceutical companies. PLoS Med, 2(5), e138. ↩
MD Anderson Cancer Center – "Are food dyes unhealthy?"… health concerns associated with artificial food dyes, including links to cancer risk and neurobehavioral issues in children.
Additional References: Food Dyes and Children’s Health
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Synthetic Food Dyes: Health Risks, History, and Policy. https://www.cspinet.org/page/synthetic-food-dyes-health-risks-history-and-policy
Healthline. Red Dye 40: Safety, Side Effects, and Food List. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40
Healthline. Yellow 5: What Is It and Is it Safe? https://www.healthline.com/health/video/yellow-5
Environmental Working Group (EWG). What is food dye? https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/03/what-food-dye
MD Anderson Cancer Center. Are food dyes unhealthy? https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/are-food-dyes-unhealthy.h00-159775656.html
PubMed. Toxicology of food dyes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23026007/