US cuts the number of vaccines recommended for every child, a move slammed by physicians

"The change is effective immediately, meaning that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will now recommend that all children get vaccinated against 11 diseases. What's no longer broadly recommended is protection against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis or RSV. Instead, protections against those diseases are only recommended for certain groups deemed high risk, or when doctors recommend them in what's called "shared decision-making.""

"Trump administration officials said the overhaul, a move long sought by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., won't result in families who want the vaccines losing access to them, and said insurance will continue to pay. But medical experts said the decision creates confusion for parents and could increase preventable diseases. States, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. While CDC requirements often influence those state regulations,"

"The change comes as U.S. vaccination rates have been slipping and the share of children with exemptions has reached an all-time high, according to federal data. At the same time, rates of diseases that can be protected against with vaccines, such as measles and whooping cough, are rising across the country. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the overhaul was in response to a request from President Donald Trump in December."

The CDC now recommends vaccinations for children against 11 diseases, with protections for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, some meningitis forms and RSV moved from broad recommendation to targeted guidance. Those vaccines will be advised only for high-risk groups or under clinician-patient shared decision-making. Trump administration officials said vaccine access and insurance coverage will continue. Medical experts warned the shift could create parental confusion and increase preventable illnesses. States retain authority to set school vaccine requirements, and some states are organizing to counter the federal guidance. U.S. vaccination rates have been slipping and exemptions have reached record highs.

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