Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease Statement on Changing the U.S. Childhood Vaccine Schedule

Jan. 5, 2026 (Washington, D.C.) The Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease (PFID) released the following statement in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changing the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule:

“Today’s changes to the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule mark another disturbing step backward in infectious disease prevention and federal public health leadership. America has devoted decades of epidemiologic surveillance, clinical trials, continuous safety monitoring, and cost-effectiveness analysis to carefully develop the prior recommendations.

“That scientific foundation remains intact. No new safety signals, disease trends, or clinical findings have emerged that would warrant narrowing routine recommendations.

“Replacing an evidence-driven U.S. framework with one modeled on foreign practice disregards American disease patterns, health care access, and population size and risk. Reclassifying vaccines for highly contagious diseases such as RSV, hepatitis A and B, and the flu risks squandering decades of American investments and reversing domestic victories against deadly illnesses.

“Overall child health outcomes in Denmark reflect a health care system with near-universal access, lower child poverty, and more consistent baseline vaccine uptake. Denmark also provides paid parental leave, meaning far fewer infants attend daycare. The U.S. operates in a materially different environment, with wider gaps in health care, larger pockets of under-vaccination, and significantly higher rates of young children in daycare. In that context, narrowing routine recommendations and shifting responsibility toward shared clinical decision-making would increase hospitalizations, school absenteeism, financial hardship, and outbreak-driven strain on pediatric systems, particularly in vulnerable communities.

“In announcing this change, U.S. health authorities leave two critical questions unanswered: Why Denmark? And will this change make children in America healthier?

“To the first, Denmark is an outlier among developed nations, recommending fewer childhood vaccines than most of its peers. To the second, there is no evidence this decision will improve health outcomes for American children, and substantial reason to expect the opposite.

“The U.S. has long led the world in vaccine science, safety monitoring, and disease prevention. Parents and pediatricians deserve clear answers when that standard is lowered without new evidence. We call on policymakers to hold decision-makers accountable for actions that put more children at risk.”