 "US cuts routine child vaccines from 17 to 11. Here's what changed")
The US Department of Health and Human Services has revised the rules on childhood vaccination, stepping back from its long-standing schedule for shots such as influenza and Covid-19. Under the new recommendations, issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccines against 11 diseases are now universally advised for children, compared with 17 earlier.
Announcing the shift, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said in a statement that the aim was to align the American schedule with “international consensus” and rebuild public trust as the changes move towards implementation, according to media reports.
The move has been praised by President Donald Trump as science-led, and slammed by paediatricians as risky and confusing.
What has changed in the US childhood vaccine schedule?
Until now, the US recommended routine vaccination against around 17–18 diseases in childhood. Under the revised schedule, only 11 diseases now fall under universal recommendation for all children.
Vaccines for conditions such as Covid-19, influenza, and rotavirus are no longer universally advised. Instead, they fall under “shared clinical decision-making”, meaning parents and doctors must decide together. Other vaccines, including hepatitis A and hepatitis B, are now recommended only for children deemed at higher risk.
Which vaccines are still recommended for all children?
According to the CDC, all children should continue to receive vaccines protecting against:
- Measles, mumps and rubella
- Polio
- Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough)
- Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib)
- Pneumococcal disease
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Varicella (chickenpox)
These are considered “consensus vaccines”, where public health authorities broadly agree on their importance.
Which vaccines are now based on risk or shared decision-making?
The new schedule splits remaining vaccines into two categories.
Recommended based on risk factors:
- RSV
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Dengue
- Meningococcal ACWY
- Meningococcal B (meningitis)
Left to shared decision-making between doctors and parents:
- Covid-19
- Influenza
- Rotavirus
In practice, this means the CDC is no longer clearly advising that every child should receive these vaccines.
Why are paediatricians and doctors pushing back?
Major medical bodies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have called the move “dangerous and unnecessary”. Their concern is not that vaccines have been banned, but that downgrading recommendations could be risky, as when a vaccine moves from “recommended for all” to “optional”, uptake tends to fall. “At a time when parents, pediatricians and the public are looking for clear guidance and accurate information, this ill-considered decision will sow further chaos and confusion and erode confidence in immunizations,” AAP President Andrew Racine said in a statement. “This is no way to make our country healthier.”
Lower coverage weakens herd immunity, increasing the risk of outbreaks, especially for infants, immunocompromised children and those too young to be vaccinated.
Doctors have also criticised what they describe as a lack of transparency, saying no new safety data were presented to justify such sweeping changes.
The overhaul follows an executive order signed by President Trump in December, instructing health officials to align US vaccine recommendations with those of “peer developed countries”.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has long questioned vaccine policy, said the review was exhaustive and aimed at restoring trust and informed consent. Critics argue the process bypassed the CDC’s traditional expert advisory panels and reflects ideological rather than scientific priorities.