Kennedy's move appears to shortcut the CDC's outside vaccine advisers, dropping COVID vaccines from the list recommended for children and pregnant women.

Makary was accurate when he said that "most countries have stopped recommending" routine COVID-19 vaccination for children.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday announced the removal of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's immunization schedule for "healthy children and pregnant women" -- a move that could alter guidance for doctors as well as some insurance coverage.

“By removing the recommendation, the decision could strip families of choice,” said O’Leary. “What is clear is that pregnant women, infants and young children are at higher risk of hospitalization from COVID, and the safety of the COVID vaccine has been widely demonstrated.”

While the CDC typically relies on a panel of vaccine experts to make public health recommendations, this process was skipped in making the COVID-19 recommendation.

Existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of getting a COVID vaccine in pregnancy all points the same way: the shot is important for maternal and fetal health.

“We have seen firsthand how dangerous Covid infection can be during pregnancy and for newborns who depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection,” the group wrote in a statement.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced more key changes to the CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination. Two health experts answer questions about what the changes mean.