FDA approves updated covid vaccines, but with severe new limits

On Wednesday, the FDA approved the caller circular of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax for usage by seniors implicit the property of 65. But for anyone younger than that, the FDA support lone mentions  radical who person “at slightest 1 underlying information that puts them astatine precocious hazard for terrible outcomes from COVID-19.” It besides removed 1 enactment for children entirely, revoking the Pfizer vaccine’s exigency usage authorization for children nether 5.

Shortly aft the FDA announced the caller guidelines, a study from The Washington Post said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ousted its director, Susan Monarez. That was confirmed successful a station connected X by the Department of Health and Human Services, which is present led by longtime anti-vaccine crusader, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, Mark Zaid, who said helium is 1 of the lawyers representing Monarez, responded by posting, “Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor yet been fired. She volition not resign,” and the pursuing statement:

Statement from Mark S. Zaid & Abbe David Lowell
Counsel for CDC Director Susan Monarez
August 27, 2025 – 7:03 p.m. ET

First it was autarkic advisory committees and vocation experts. Then it was the dismissal of seasoned scientists. Now, Secretary Kennedy and HHS person acceptable their sights connected weaponizing nationalist wellness for governmental summation and putting millions of American lives astatine risk.

When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and occurrence dedicated wellness experts she chose protecting the nationalist implicit serving a governmental agenda. For that, she has been targeted. Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and arsenic a idiosyncratic of integrity and devoted to science, she volition not resign.

The Post says Monarez was “pressed for days” by Kennedy astir whether she would enactment reworking the FDA’s policies. The Post reports that “at slightest 3 apical CDC officials” person announced plans to resign, including Demetre Daskalakis, manager of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Debra Houry, main aesculapian officer.

After previewing the update successful May, the authorities removed steadfast large radical and children from its database of radical recommended to person the covid vaccine, which CNN reports has already prevented immoderate radical from getting vaccinated.

In a tweet, Kennedy claims the actions volition “keep vaccines disposable to radical who privation them, particularly the vulnerable,” however, they could present necessitate millions of Americans to beryllium they are astatine risk, putting an further hurdle successful the mode of getting vaccinated.

The New York Times reports that an upcoming CDC determination could interaction availability and entree astatine drugstore sites, arsenic laws successful immoderate states necessitate the CDC’s proposal for pharmacy unit to administer the shots. As we noted past month, Kennedy precocious fired 17 radical from the national committee (ACIP) liable for making vaccine recommendations.