1. HHS mismanages the measles response in the Southwest
As of May 30, 2025, there have been 1,088 confirmed cases of the disease, including 127 hospitalizations and three deaths; this is the largest outbreak in the US in 25 years. Among the challenges in the response are Sec. Kennedy making misstatements about the safety of the measles vaccine, endorsing unproven treatments, and preventing experts from briefing the public. HHS also cut grant funds for the states' measles response.
Editor's note: This one will stay in the top spot on the Straight Shot list until the federal response improves or the outbreak ends. – SD
2. HHS changes the status of Covid vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women on the immunization schedule
On May 27, without consultation with the CDC, Secretary Kennedy announced in a 1-minute video on X that the administration had decided to remove the Covid vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant people from the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule. Two days later, the CDC updated the immunization schedules to change the Covid recommendations, leaving routine childhood vaccination in the category of "shared decision-making," but not recommending vaccination during pregnancy. This is despite the CDC listing pregnancy as a “conclusive” risk factor for adverse outcomes from Covid.
Editors' notes: A recommendation is the basis for protecting clinicians administering the vaccine from lawsuits under the PREP Act. Without clarity from HHS, clinicians may be reluctant to provide the vaccine to otherwise healthy women during pregnancy, even though it is highly recommended by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. – SD
The shared decision-making recommendation for children preserves essential access to vaccines through the Vaccines for Children's Program and makes it more likely that private insurers will cover the shot. That sound you hear is a lot of pediatricians breathing a sigh of relief, because this decision–while causing confusion–could have been much worse. – JS
HHS has made these consequential changes without making public the scientific evidence underpinning its decisions. – PL
All the confusion about these changing recommendations is unnecessary. Had HHS followed a normal process, recommendations could have been made clearly and with all the implications spelled out in advance. – JR
3. FDA adds new restrictions and requirements on Covid vaccines
As detailed in the previous issue of the Straight Shot, FDA Commissioner Makary and new FDA biologics center Director Prasad recently announced a new FDA approach to Covid vaccine approvals that will limit access to these vaccines. Two weeks later, there are still no official FDA documents or explanations for how this will actually be implemented in order to answer the many questions that have been raised.
On May 31, the FDA approved a new version of the Moderna mRNA Covid vaccine, with a lower dose than previous versions. Consistent with the new framework for Covid vaccines, the approval was limited to people 65 and older and those aged 12 to 64 years with at least one risk factor for Covid as defined by the CDC.
Editor's note: This item will remain on the list until FDA provides additional clarity on this new approach. – JR
4. Moderna withdraws a vaccine application
Previously, Moderna had submitted an application to the FDA for approval of a combined Covid and flu shot that uses mRNA technology for both viruses, a product that would likely increase uptake in advance of the respiratory virus season. According to results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this vaccine outperformed stand-alone vaccines for both flu and Covid. On May 21, however, Moderna announced, without explanation, that they were pulling their application for this vaccine and would wait for the results from its standalone flu vaccine to resubmit.
Editor's note: I'd like to know whether Moderna's decision to pull their application for this combination product is related to a real issue with the application or is part of a larger pattern of arbitrary decision-making on mRNA technology and on respiratory vaccines, including influenza, RSV, and Covid vaccines. – JR
5. HHS pulls funding from Moderna
HHS announced that it was canceling $766 million in contracts with Moderna to develop mRNA vaccines for various strains of flu, including the H5N1 strain currently circulating in birds that could develop into new pandemics. Early data around safety and immune response showed promise.
Editor's note: Having these vaccines developed before a pandemic begins would save critical time should another virus make the leap from animals to humans. The administration’s skepticism of mRNA vaccines (see number 6, below) is making us all less safe. – JS
6. HHS moves $500 million to study older vaccine technology favored by two appointees
HHS abruptly pulled $500 million from contracts for next-generation vaccines and is using the funds to study a type of "whole-virus" vaccine technology developed and championed by two political appointees. "Whole-virus" vaccines are 70 years old and thought by many scientists to be less effective and cause more adverse effects than newer technologies.
Editor's note: This item, described in more detail in previous updates of The Straight Shot, will stay on our list until we learn more about this enormous investment of federal resources.– JS
7. HHS ends HIV vaccine research
Numerous HIV vaccine research projects were abruptly ended by HHS this past week. Additionally, NIH was instructed not to fund new research efforts in this area.
Editor's note: In 2023, 630,000 people died of HIV worldwide. An HIV vaccine would transform public health and save countless lives; this decision is a massive setback to the field. – PL
8. Confusion over leadership at the CDC
On March 24, President Trump nominated the Acting CDC Director, Dr. Susan Monarez, to lead the agency, forcing her to step aside from this position. On May 14, Sec. Kennedy testified that CDC Chief of Staff, Matt Buzzelli, is the acting CDC director. But the CDC website lists him as the Chief of Staff, and he may not meet the necessary legal qualifications to serve as the acting director, which appear to include having worked at the agency for 90 days in the prior year. While Sec. Kennedy referred to Buzzelli as a “public health expert,” he is a former trial attorney with no discernible public health experience.
Editor's note: The CDC Director is responsible for overseeing the agency's work on vaccines, including updating the immunization schedule. We're going to keep this on the list until there is clarity. – JR
9. HHS Secretary delays action on ACIP recommendations
At the April 16 meeting of the ACIP, the committee made recommendations for the use of a new chikungunya vaccine, RSV vaccines for older adults, and a new pentavalent meningococcal vaccine. While Secretary Kennedy, acting in the absence of a CDC director, has adopted the ACIP recommendation for a new chikungunya vaccine, he has not yet acted on the two other ACIP recommendations. (No change from last update.)
Editor's note: This item will stay on the list until Secretary Kennedy acts on the outstanding recommendations. – SD
10. HHS hires anti-vaccine activist to review vaccine safety data
HHS has hired David Geier, a leading source of misinformation about vaccines, to investigate questions related to vaccine safety.
Editor's note: This item, detailed in previous updates of the Straight Shot, stays on our list until the Geier report is released. – JS
11. HHS cuts funds for vaccination in states and its own vaccine staff
A federal judge has ruled that the Administration cannot proceed with the $11 billion in cuts to state public health funds. Some of these funds were used to fund vaccination clinics; others were used for outbreak monitoring and response.
Editor's note: This item, detailed in previous updates of the Straight Shot, stays on our list until the issue is resolved. – JR
12. White House issues an initial MAHA report
On May 22, the White House issued the Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment. One section of the report was dedicated to concerns regarding vaccines, questioning the expansion of the childhood immunization schedule, the adequacy of clinical trials, the effectiveness of safety monitoring, the integrity of the Vaccine Injury Compensation program, and the role of vaccine mandates. The report has come under fire for inaccuracy of data as well as errors in citations as a result of the use of generative AI.
Editor's note: The report provides no evidence that vaccines are unsafe, ineffective, or contribute to chronic illness in children. However, this set of topics may serve as a roadmap for future changes to vaccine policy and is certainly consistent with what we’ve seen so far. – SD
