The United States has taken an unprecedented step by sharply reducing the number of vaccines recommended for all children, a decision that medical groups warn could weaken protection against multiple preventable diseases.
Effective immediately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will now broadly recommend vaccinations against 11 diseases, down from a much wider list. Vaccines for influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, certain types of meningitis, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are no longer advised for every child, instead being limited to high-risk groups or left to doctor-patient “shared decision-making.”
Trump administration officials said the move, championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will not restrict access for families who still want the vaccines, noting that insurance coverage will remain unchanged. Physicians and public health experts, however, say the overhaul could confuse parents and contribute to rising cases of preventable illnesses.
The decision comes as childhood vaccination rates in the US continue to decline, with exemptions at a record high, while outbreaks of diseases such as measles and whooping cough are increasing nationwide.
The Department of Health and Human Services said the revised guidance followed a December request from President Donald Trump to review how peer countries structure their vaccine schedules. Officials said a comparison of 20 developed nations showed the US was an “outlier” in both the number of vaccines and doses recommended for all children.
“This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” Kennedy said, while Trump described the new schedule as “far more reasonable” and aligned with global standards.
Under the revised guidance, vaccines against measles, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, chickenpox, and HPV remain universally recommended. The schedule also reduces the HPV vaccine to a single dose for most children, down from the previous two or three.
Medical groups criticised the changes for being made without public consultation or transparent scientific review. Experts warned that scaling back recommendations for vaccines against flu, hepatitis, and rotavirus could lead to more hospitalisations and preventable deaths.
Pediatricians stressed that vaccine policies should reflect disease prevalence and healthcare capacity, cautioning against directly copying other countries’ approaches. Several medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, said they will continue to follow and promote broader immunization schedules.
The decision was made without input from the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, officials acknowledged, raising further concerns about the process. Critics also point to Kennedy’s long-standing skepticism toward vaccines, noting earlier moves to roll back recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines and overhaul advisory panels.
Public health experts warn that the changes risk reversing decades of progress in controlling childhood infectious diseases across the United States.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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