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2d ago

Op-Ed Presses Three-Question Framework in Ongoing U.S. Vaccine Schedule Review

An op-ed urges CDC to use a three-question test during the vaccine-schedule review.

A dose of the measles vaccine is seen on a table at a health center in Lubbock, Texas, on February 27, 2025. Dozens of children are being rushed to a health center in the US state of Texas to get the measles vaccine, after the recent death in the area of a child who was not immunized against the highly contagious virus. The death came as immunization rates have declined nationwide, with the latest cases in the west Texas town of Lubbock concentrated in a Mennonite religious community that has historically shown vaccine hesitancy. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • On Dec. 5, President Trump directed the CDC to compare the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with those of peer nations.
  • In a Dec. 23 commentary, Monique Yohanan proposes judging universal childhood shots by childhood prevalence, pediatric severity, and impact on community transmission.
  • The op-ed points to measles and pertussis as clear fits for universal programs and notes hepatitis B and varicella are less often universal in peer countries.
  • Yohanan argues the U.S. schedule expanded for reasons beyond pediatric burden and says explicit, transparent criteria could strengthen public trust.
  • CDC and HHS have not announced changes, and the administration’s review continues into 2026 as legal and program implications are examined.