US will overhaul childhood vaccine schedule to recommend fewer shots
4 months ago
- #public health
- #vaccines
- #health policy
- US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will recommend fewer vaccines for most American children.
- Measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox, and HPV vaccines will still be recommended.
- RSV, meningococcal disease, hepatitis B, and hepatitis A vaccines will be narrowed to higher-risk children.
- Flu, COVID-19, and rotavirus vaccines will require shared clinical decision-making.
- Changes come amid rising flu cases, with nine pediatric deaths reported this season.
- Insurers will still cover vaccines without cost-sharing, but parents may face new hurdles.
- New vaccine schedule aligns more closely with Denmark’s, which omits several vaccines.
- Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg presented Denmark’s schedule to CDC’s vaccine advisory panel.
- Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was reconstituted after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed prior appointees.
- President Trump ordered a review of the vaccine schedule, calling it 'ridiculous.'
- Public health experts warn changes could lead to outbreaks of preventable diseases.
- Denmark’s healthcare system differs from the US, making direct comparisons problematic.
- HHS claims reducing vaccine recommendations may restore public trust in health agencies.
- Vaccine messaging has shifted under Kennedy, who has long questioned vaccine safety.
- CMS dropped requirements for states to report childhood vaccination status for Medicaid/CHIP beneficiaries.
- Experts fear this could create doubts about vaccine importance.
- CMS plans new measures, including tracking vaccine safety communication and parental preferences.
- State reporting may become inconsistent, leading to a patchwork of immunization policies.