Why CDC's Vaccine Rollback Comes at the Worst Possible Time

"Cases of winter viruses in the U.S. have exploded in recent monthsand soon kids may be less protected from them, thanks to new vaccine guidelines. Amid a worsening respiratory illness season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently rolled back its universal childhood vaccine recommendations from addressing 17 diseases to just 11. The CDC no longer recommends that all children be vaccinated against influenza and rotavirusinstead it recommends these vaccines based on individual discussions with doctors only. And the agency recommends that vaccines that protect against meningococcal bacteria and hepatitis A and B be given to children in high-risk groups only. All of these vaccines remain available to parents who want their kids to receive them, and they are fully covered by both private and public insurance."

"Concerningly, the changes prominently affect seasonal diseases that spike during the winter and are notorious for causing high rates of pediatric hospitalizations and even deathsmost notably, influenza. The timing couldn't be worse: nationwide health care visits for flulike symptoms recently hit a record high in nearly 30 years of tracking. The speed at which the flu season is ramping up in terms of total cases is quite impressive, says Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. And he anticipates the numbers will only grow. We're closer to the beginning than the end of the flu season, Pekosz says."

Winter viruses in the U.S. have surged while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention narrowed universal childhood vaccine recommendations from 17 diseases to 11. Influenza and rotavirus are no longer universally recommended; those vaccines are advised only after individual discussions with clinicians. Vaccines for meningococcal bacteria and hepatitis A and B are now recommended for children in high-risk groups only. All affected vaccines remain available and are fully covered by private and public insurance. Public health experts warn the changes will reduce vaccination coverage and increase disease incidence. Flu-like visits have reached record highs and the season appears to be accelerating.

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