Overview
- Vaccines for rotavirus, influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis A and B, meningococcal disease, and RSV are no longer universally recommended for all children and now fall under high-risk or shared clinical decision-making categories.
- The update, effective immediately, follows President Trump’s December directive to align U.S. guidance with practices in developed countries such as Denmark.
- The CDC continues to recommend core vaccines for all children, including DTaP, Hib, pneumococcal conjugate, polio, MMR, varicella, and a now single-dose HPV regimen for most children.
- HHS and CMS say all CDC-recommended immunizations remain available without cost-sharing through ACA plans and federal programs, with officials stressing that no family will lose access.
- Major medical groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America condemned the move as unsupported by evidence and likely to fuel confusion and lower vaccine uptake, while states retain authority over school requirements.