The US Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled drastic changes to the childhood vaccination schedule, scaling back the number of universally recommended vaccines from 17 to 11. In addition to the 11 vaccines recommended for all kids, 6 vaccines are recommended for children considered particularly vulnerable to infection, while other immunizations will be accessible through “shared clinical decision-making” with providers. Medical professionals and public health experts widely criticized the unprecedented overhaul to vaccine policy, highlighting that the new guidance goes against well-established science on vaccine safety and effectiveness.
The new policy comes amid the resurgence of childhood diseases such as measles and whooping cough due to downward trends in vaccination rates.
“Abandoning the U.S. evidence-based process is a dangerous and potentially deadly decision for Americans,” said Jason M. Goldman, MD, president of the American College of Physicians. “The evidence is clear that vaccines prevent deaths, hospitalizations, and spread of disease.”
“This is a very dark day for children and for their parents and for our country generally,” said Jesse Goodman, MD, MPH, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Georgetown University and a former director of the FDA’s center for biologics evaluation and research. “There will be more diseases, more infection, more hospitalization”.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is among the many medical organizations to oppose the new policy. Numerous pediatricians and family medicine physicians say they plan to use follow AAP’s schedule instead of the HHS guidance.
