Defending Access to Vaccines in Pregnancy

On July 7, 2025, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine joined the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Physicians (ACP), American Public Health Association (APHA),  Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA), and a pregnant physician in a lawsuit to defend vaccine access for pregnant patients and to advocate for vaccine policy that is based on science and evidence-based medicine.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, our suit in American Academy of Pediatrics v. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. challenges HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s recent directive withdrawing the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for pregnant people and children.

You can read our joint news release here.

“Secretary Kennedy’s changes to vaccine recommendations have frustrated our members’ ability to effectively counsel patients regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and compromised the standard of care. Every second the Secretary’s dangerous and unsupported decisions regarding the COVID-19 vaccines stay in effect, the Directive is putting up barriers for our members’ high-risk pregnant patients to access the COVID-19 vaccine, which is increasing the risk of serious infection and illness and eroding patient trust in all recommended vaccinations.”

Sindhu K. Srinivas, MD, MSCE, President, SMFM

For questions about SMFM’s work on vaccine access, contact smfm@smfm.org.