Article Summary:
In a significant shift, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reducing the number of vaccines routinely recommended for all children, from 17 to 11. This change affects vaccines for conditions such as rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis, and seasonal flu, which are now only recommended for high-risk individuals or through “shared decision-making” with healthcare providers.
The administration, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long questioned vaccine safety and effectiveness, initiated this overhaul after a presidential memorandum directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the CDC to compare the U.S. vaccine schedule to those of other developed countries. The assessment, conducted by HHS officials, concluded that the U.S. schedule should be aligned with “international consensus.”
The changes were made without formal public input or input from vaccine manufacturers, a move criticized as “radical and dangerous” by experts, who warn it will sow doubt and confusion among parents, potentially putting children’s lives at risk. HHS officials cited declining vaccine uptake, including for measles, as evidence of waning public trust, and stated the changes aim to restore confidence.
While no vaccines were removed from the schedule, their recommended status was altered. HHS also announced plans for long-term, placebo-controlled trials to study vaccine timing and effects, though details on the cost and timeline were not provided.
This significant policy shift, undertaken without standard stakeholder input, has raised concerns about its potential impact on public health and vaccine acceptance.