HHS moves to end pandemic-era emergency use authorization
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:18 AM CDT, Mon July 13, 2026
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has signed determinations terminating the COVID-19 Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) declarations for drugs and biological products and for medical devices. “Americans deserve a regulatory system that is transparent, accountable, and rooted in the rule of law,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “By ending these COVID-19 emergency use authorization declarations, we're reinforcing public confidence that emergency authorities are temporary and targeted.” The terminations will take place following advance notice periods: The declaration for drugs and biological products will terminate 12 months after the secretary’s determination, while the declarations for medical devices will terminate 180 days after the secretary’s determination. The advance notice periods are designed to provide manufacturers, health care providers, health systems, distributors, and patients adequate time to transition away from products authorized solely under the COVID-19 EUA declarations. During this transition, HHS and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say they will continue working with manufacturers on appropriate regulatory pathways for products seeking traditional approval, clearance, or licensure. The COVID-19 EUA declarations were first issued in 2020 to enable rapid access to medical products during the pandemic.
- Related: FDA extends EUA for vents, other devices.
Comments