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FDA limits new COVID vaccine boosters to high-risk Americans only
By Melissa Rudy
Published August 27, 2025
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized COVID-19 vaccines for the fall — but only for high-risk groups.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy announced the FDA’s most recent actions on Wednesday in a post on X.
"I promised 4 things," Kennedy wrote. "1. to end covid vaccine mandates; 2. to keep vaccines available to people who want them, especially the vulnerable; 3. to demand placebo-controlled trials from companies; 4. to end the emergency."
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"In a series of FDA actions today we accomplished all four goals."
In the post, RFK stated that the FDA has issued "marketing authorization" for high-risk groups for the following vaccines: Moderna (6 months and older), Pfizer (5 years and older) and Novavax (12 and up).
"These vaccines are available for all patients who choose them after consulting with their doctors," RFK wrote.
High-risk groups include older adults over 65 and those who are more likely to develop severe COVID illness.
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On its website, the CDC lists conditions that may increase the risk of severe COVID, including asthma, cancer, heart conditions, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, mood disorders, obesity, Parkinson’s, and chronic disease of the lungs, liver or kidneys, among many others.
RFK also announced that the emergency use authorizations for COVID vaccines have been rescinded.
High-risk groups include older adults over 65 and those who are more likely to develop severe COVID illness. (iStock)
"The American people demanded science, safety, and common sense," RFK went on. "This framework delivers all three."
Before this change, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended the vaccine for all Americans 6 months and older.
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In May 2025, Kennedy announced that COVID-19 vaccines would be removed from the CDC’s routine immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women.
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Instead of a universal recommendation, the CDC’s updated guidance calls for "shared clinical decision-making," in which parents and doctors discuss the benefits and risks of vaccination for each individual case.
Before this change, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended the vaccine for all Americans 6 months and older. (iStock)
However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) still includes it in its annual immunization schedule, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
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"It should be a conversation between the pediatrician, patient and parent, and should depend on the child’s health as well as the current state of COVID," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, previously told Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/fda-limits-new-covid-booster-vaccines-only-high-risk-americans