The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved updated COVID-19 booster vaccines targeted at a prevalent subvariant but limited eligibility to older adults and those with underlying conditions. Concurrently, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Susan Monarez was abruptly removed after less than a month in office amid reported conflicts with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The new vaccine guidance restricts broader access for healthy adults and children, reflecting shifting public health strategies during late-stage pandemic management. Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax boosters have received narrow approval profiles, paralleling changes in CDC vaccine recommendations that now emphasize clinical decision-making for healthy children and pregnant women. This period of leadership upheaval at the CDC has raised concerns about potential impacts on pandemic preparedness and public health policy continuity.