CDC’s new vaccine schedule sparks concern among experts

In a move that has surprised health experts nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced a major change to its childhood vaccination guidelines, reducing the number of vaccines routinely recommended for all children.

Vaccines that were previously considered essential — such as those for Hepatitis A and B, meningitis, rotavirus, RSV, COVID-19 and seasonal flu — are now recommended only for those at high risk or after consultation with a child’s health care provider. The agency will continue to recommend vaccines against 11 diseases for all children, including measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV) and varicella (chickenpox).

The CDC stated that the change aims to “restore public trust.” However, many medical professionals fear it could have the opposite effect.

“Unfortunately, this is going to cause a lot of confusion for parents and for people in general,” Dr. Abisola Olulade, a family medicine doctor with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, says. “The important thing to know is that these vaccines are still available. If you want to get your kids vaccinated, you still can — and you should.”

Why experts are worried

Vaccines have long been credited with reducing hospitalizations and saving lives, Dr. Olulade shares. “Vaccines have decreased the chances of children ending up in the hospital, and they are safe,” she says. “For example, rotavirus used to cause tens of thousands of hospitalizations in children before the vaccine was introduced. Hepatitis B vaccines have done a great job of eliminating risk. Meningitis, another disease affected by the new guidelines, can be fatal within 24 hours. And flu vaccines prevent hospitalizations and deaths.”

According to Dr. Olulade, the majority of children who die from the flu are unvaccinated — “over 80 to 90%,” she says. And information shared on the CDC website on Jan. 7 — after the changes to the childhood vaccination guidelines were announced — noted that “getting a yearly flu vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk from flu and its potentially serious complications.” The information goes on to report that the agency still “recommends seasonal flu vaccination for children, pregnant women and adults.”

Another concern among experts is that fewer vaccinations could lead to increased outbreaks of diseases.

For example, a June 2025 study published in JAMA found that 78% of U.S. counties reported declines in measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates from 2019 through 2024, and nonmedical exemptions reached an all-time high during the 2024–2025 school year. More than 2,000 measles cases were reported last year, federal data shows, a higher annual total than the country has seen in decades. And among those people with measles, 90% were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.

Moreover, the study determined that measles is likely to return to endemic levels if MMR vaccination rates continue to decline. “These ongoing outbreaks continue to threaten the measles elimination status that the nation has held for a quarter-century,” Dr. Olulade says.

What parents need to know

Despite the changes, Dr. Olulade reassures parents that health insurance coverage and vaccine availability currently remain unchanged. “All previously recommended vaccines will still be covered by insurance and available when you take your child in to get a vaccine,” she says. “Nothing should change. You just have to let your child’s care providers know that you are interested in getting all the available vaccines for your child.”

Additionally, the West Coast Health Alliance, California Department of Public Health and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) vaccine guidelines are not affected by the new federal recommendations. “Today’s announcement by federal health officials to arbitrarily stop recommending numerous routine childhood immunizations is dangerous and unnecessary,” a Jan. 6 statement from AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine reads. “The longstanding, evidence-based approach that has guided the U.S. immunization review and recommendation process remains the best way to keep children healthy and protect against health complications and hospitalizations.”

In fact, a 2024 CDC report supports this approach. “Among children born [in the United States] during 1994–2023, routine childhood vaccinations will have prevented approximately 508 million lifetime cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations and 1,129,000 deaths,” it states.

“It’s clear that the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks of potential side effects,” Dr. Olulade concludes. “Talk with your doctor and make the best decision for your child.”

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