Overview
- On Jan. 5, federal officials moved hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, rotavirus, meningococcal, and COVID-19 shots off the routine pediatric schedule.
- The vaccines now require an explicit clinician–family discussion, and without that conversation there is no default vaccination.
- Medicaid, the Vaccines for Children program, and private insurers pledged coverage for these shots at least through 2026.
- Pediatric workflow will be strained because routine EHR prompts and standing orders no longer trigger these doses during short well-child visits.
- The approach, previously used for limited adult cases such as HPV for ages 27–45, could widen existing income-related gaps as counseling time and follow-up demands increase.