The country's top public health agencies have issued new recommendations that healthy children and pregnant women may receive a common vaccination, eliminating the stronger language that these groups should get shot.

In U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

But the latest guidance on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website conveys a more nuanced message that these groups can “can” shoot.

"The announcement earlier this week sounded like the CDC would completely withdraw any statement that could be interpreted as these vaccine recommendations in these populations," said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at Yale University. "It's not as bad as it used to be."

Kennedy announced the upcoming changes in a 58-second video posted on social media site X on Tuesday. No one in the video came from the CDC, and CDC officials raised questions about the announcement to Kennedy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

On Thursday, the CDC updated its website. The agency said it could give shots to children aged 6 months to 17, without moderate or serious problems in the immune system. The CDC now says parents may decide to get their children vaccinated and consult with their doctors.

A subtle update to the CDC page in the Adult Immunization Program shows that there are similar changes in recommendations for pregnant women, excluding routine recommendations for other adults.

"The old Covid-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women under the age of 18 have been removed from the CDC vaccine program," a HHS spokesperson said in a statement. "The CDC and HHS encourage individuals to discuss any personal medical decisions with health care providers."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said such recommendations, known as co-decision, still mean that health insurers must vaccinate the vaccine. However, experts say vaccination rates tend to be lower when health authorities use the language and the emphasis on doctors shooting patients.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of vaccination for children with a total of vids is already very low - only 13% of children and 23% of adults received the 2024-25 vaccine, according to the CDC.

Talking about changes has been brewing. As the COVID pandemic wanes, experts discuss the possibility of focusing vaccination efforts on people aged 65 and older, who are at risk of death and hospitalization.

The CDC advisory group is scheduled to meet in June to make recommendations on fall shooting. One of its options is to provide shots for high-risk groups, but still choose to get vaccinated for those with low-risks. The Committee Working Group endorsed the idea.

However, Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine advocate, decided not to wait for the scientific panel to review before becoming health secretary.

Schwartz said the new vaccine recommendation changes, timing and the way it was announced creates confusion, which could be “very harmful to the success of the vaccination program.”

He added: "If the public is completely confused by the federal government's ideas and scientific advice, it would be understandable … evidence about the safety and value of these vaccines."