WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an unprecedented step on Monday to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children, effective immediately.
The CDC said it will recommend that children receive 11 vaccines, compared to the current list of 17, and will more closely resemble Denmark’s vaccine schedule.
“The assessment reviewed 20 peer-developed nations and found that the U.S. is a global outlier among developed nations in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine childhood vaccination schedule and the total number of recommended doses, but does not have higher vaccination rates than such countries,” the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in a news release.
Immunizations that will be recommended include DTaP—diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough)— Hib, Pneumococcal conjugate, polio, measles, mumps and rubella, and chickenpox. Only a single dose of the HPV vaccine, instead of two doses for younger children and three for older teens, will be suggested.
Other vaccines will only be recommended for “high-risk groups” or suggested based on “shared clinical decision-making.” High-risk groups include shots for RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue and two types of bacterial meningitis.
HHS assured Americans that all immunizations recommended by the CDC will continue to be fully covered under the Affordable Care Act insurance plans and federal insurance programs, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Vaccines for Children program.
“This means that insurance will continue to cover more vaccines for children in the U.S. than in peer nations, where insurance generally only pays for recommended vaccines,” officials said.
The move comes weeks after President Donald Trump ordered a review of the nation’s childhood vaccine recommendations and to evaluate the scientific evidence underlying those practices. He instructed them to update the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule if superior approaches exist abroad while preserving access to vaccines currently available to Americans.
“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”
Medical experts disagreed, saying the change without public discussion or a transparent review of the data would put children at risk.
“Abandoning recommendations for vaccines that prevent influenza, hepatitis and rotavirus, and changing the recommendation for HPV without a public process to weigh the risks and benefits, will lead to more hospitalizations and preventable deaths among American children,” said Michael Osterholm of the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
