Overview
- Seven medical associations led by the American Academy of Pediatrics filed suit in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts to reverse the Jan. 5 CDC decision narrowing routine childhood protection from roughly 17 diseases to 11.
- The lawsuit seeks to restore the prior schedule, set aside recent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices appointments and votes, and block the current panel from meeting in February.
- Plaintiffs say HHS replaced all 17 ACIP members in 2025 with appointees lacking balanced expertise, and they argue the CDC adopted sweeping changes without new evidence or standard advisory review.
- The revised guidance moves flu, COVID-19, hepatitis A and B, RSV, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, and dengue out of universal recommendations into high-risk or shared decision-making categories.
- HHS and CDC leaders defend the shift as aligning with peer nations such as Denmark and say insurers will continue covering the vaccines for now, while some states like Minnesota are opting to follow AAP guidance instead.