Star Metro - US recommends fewer childhood vaccines in major shift

The dramatic shift -- announced by the US health department, which is led by long-time vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -- means the US will no longer recommend that every child receive immunizations against several diseases including rotavirus and influenza.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instead will recommend that shots preventing those illnesses as well as hepatitis A, hepatitis B and meningococcal disease be administered for select groups of high-risk individuals or as recommended by a doctor, rather than as standard practice.

The agency had already shifted to this recommendation model for Covid-19 shots earlier this year.

The decision follows President Donald Trump's directive last month that health officials compare the US vaccine schedule to those abroad.

"After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the US childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health," Kennedy said in a statement.

But medical and public health experts slammed the overhaul.

Sean O'Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, said "the US child vaccine schedule is one of the most thoroughly researched tools we have to protect children from serious, sometimes deadly diseases."

"It's so important that any decision about the US childhood vaccination schedule should be grounded in evidence, transparency and established scientific processes, not comparisons that overlook critical differences between countries or health systems," he told journalists.

- 'More confusing for parents' -

States have the authority to mandate vaccinations, but generally CDC recommendations wield significant influence over state policies.

US officials have said that access as well as insurance coverage of vaccines should remain in place, even for shots not broadly recommended by the federal government.

"All vaccines currently recommended by CDC will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing," said Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the federal health insurance programs.

"No family will lose access. This framework empowers parents and physicians to make individualized decisions based on risk, while maintaining strong protection against serious disease."

But public health authorities warned that the changes would only sow doubt and confusion, especially as vaccine skepticism has mushroomed in the wake of the pandemic.

O'Leary said the shift "just makes things more confusing for parents and clinicians."

"Tragically, our federal government can no longer be trusted" to provide vaccine recommendations, he added.

N.Fournier--SMC