Trump and RFK Jr. just blew up the childhood vaccine schedule

• The US childhood immunization guidelines have undergone an 'unprecedented overhaul' under the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reducing the number of universally recommended vaccines.
• This change follows an 'exhaustive review' aimed at 'aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus' and 'strengthening transparency and informed consent' (BBC News).
• Previously, the US was identified as 'a global outlier' by the CDC in the number of diseases covered and vaccine doses recommended compared to 20 developed countries (BBC News).
• The new guidelines reduce the universally recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 10 or 11, with others now recommended based on risk or 'shared clinical decision-making' (BBC News, Techdirt, Washington Examiner).

• The new schedule includes polio and measles vaccines universally, but removes others like Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and COVID-19 from universal recommendation, shifting them to 'shared clinical decision-making' or for 'high-risk individuals' (BBC News, Techdirt).
• Specific changes include reducing the HPV vaccine from two doses to one, which is predicted to 'reduce efficacy and leave women prone to both infection and later malignancy' (Washington Examiner).
• Vaccines like RSV, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, dengue, and certain meningitis vaccines are now recommended only for 'high-risk groups or populations' (Washington Examiner).
• This shift to 'shared clinical decisions' is seen as a move that 'reduces vaccination rates,' 'creates hesitation,' and signals that once-standard vaccines are 'somehow suspect' (Washington Examiner).

Focus areas by different sources:

• Administration's Stance: Kennedy stated the new rules 'protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,' aligning the US schedule with 'international consensus' (BBC News).
• Critiques of Process: The changes were made 'out of the blue' without 'meaningful consultation with pediatricians, public health officials, or the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP),' bypassing the expert body legally charged with making vaccine recommendations (Techdirt, Washington Examiner).
• Concerns for Public Health: Critics describe the changes as 'a dangerous move that will harm children' and 'medical malpractice,' potentially leading to 'a greater incidence of acute, sometimes life-threatening infections, as well as long-term sequelae' (BBC News, Washington Examiner).
• Underlying Motivation: The changes are linked to RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine stance, particularly concerns about aluminum in vaccines, despite studies finding no risk (Techdirt, Washington Examiner).

• The new schedule 'will more closely resemble Denmark’s,' which recommends vaccines for 11 diseases compared to the previous 18 in the US (Techdirt).
• While Denmark has 'admittedly good health outcomes generally,' critics argue 'America isn’t Denmark' due to fundamental differences in public health infrastructure (Techdirt).
• Denmark's 'robust public health system' and 'universal and free health care' make comprehensive vaccination less imperative and facilitate timely testing and vaccination, unlike the US system (Techdirt, Washington Examiner).
• Experts warn that the changes will 'sow chaos in pediatric practices, increase liability risks, and confuse families,' ultimately resulting in 'fewer children vaccinated on time' and a return to 'outbreaks, hospitalizations, and preventable deaths' (Washington Examiner).