Washington: The U.S. government has officially stopped telling parents that all kids should get shots for hepatitis A, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, and influenza. The new policy, which was announced on Monday, moves toward a shared decision-making model, in which parents talk to healthcare providers about vaccinations instead of following universal recommendations.
Information about the change
CDC Acting Director Jim O'Neill approved the decision without the usual review by outside experts. This was a big change from how vaccines were handled in the past. The new guidance applies to four vaccines and stresses that people should have the freedom to choose over universal mandates.
President Donald Trump backed the change, saying it puts the U.S. on the same level as other developed countries and is based on solid science. Trump praised Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known critic of vaccines, and his group "Make America Healthy Again," which wants to cut back on childhood vaccinations.
Kennedy has questioned the safety of vaccines before, saying that they cause autism, which scientific research has shown is not true.
But public health experts said that these changes could make kids more likely to get sick and have to go to the hospital. Dr. Michael Osterholm said that there should be more public discussion about the risks. Dr. Sean O'Leary said that other countries with universal healthcare systems have different vaccination policies, and the U.S. should make decisions based on facts and openness.
International Setting and Policy Foundation
The new U.S. schedule was based on reviews of vaccine protocols in 20 other developed countries, all of which have universal healthcare systems. Most of these countries recommend that kids get vaccines against flu, hepatitis A, rotavirus, and meningococcal disease, but the U.S. no longer recommends these vaccines for all kids.
Effects of Changes in Vaccination
All of the vaccines that are no longer recommended for everyone stopped serious illnesses from happening:
- Flu: Can kill kids; 288 kids died in the 2024–25 season.
- Hepatitis A usually goes away on its own, but it can hurt the liver badly.
- Rotavirus used to cause tens of thousands of hospitalizations every year.
- Meningococcal Disease: It's not common, but it can be deadly if not treated.
The new schedule still suggests vaccinations for 11 other diseases, such as measles, mumps, and varicella. Some vaccines are only for people who are at high risk or need to be decided on by more than one person.
One big change is that the recommendation for HPV vaccination says that kids should only get one dose instead of two. WHO backs up studies that show a single dose works. Merck, the company that makes Gardasil, hasn't said anything yet because the FDA hasn't yet approved a single-dose regimen.
The change in policy is part of a larger discussion about vaccination strategies, which weigh the benefits to public health against people's right to choose. Opponents of universal vaccination say that cutting back on it could lead to outbreaks of diseases that could have been avoided. Supporters, on the other hand, say that it gives people more freedom.
