US drops the number of vaccines it recommends for every child

"The U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child - leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose but without clear guidance. Officials said the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule won't result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines, but medical experts slammed the move, saying it could lead to reduced uptake of important vaccinations and increase disease."

"The change, which officials acknowledged was made without input from an advisory committee that typically consults on the vaccine schedule, came after President Donald Trump in December asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising its guidance to align with theirs. HHS said its comparison to 20 peer nations found that the U.S. was an "outlier" in both the number of vaccinations and the number of doses it recommended to all children."

U.S. federal officials reduced the number of vaccines recommended for all children, making additional immunizations such as the influenza vaccine optional without explicit federal guidance. Officials stated that the change will not remove access or insurance coverage for vaccines. Medical experts warned that the reduction in recommended vaccines could lower vaccination uptake and increase disease risk. The decision was made without consultation from the usual advisory committee after a presidential request to align U.S. recommendations with peer nations. HHS found the U.S. to be an outlier in both vaccination count and doses and framed the change as intended to increase public trust.

Read at The Mercury News