Top Medical and Public Health Experts Universally ‘Vehemently’ Oppose Childhood Vaccine Schedule Changes

On Jan. 5, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an announcement altering the nation’s childhood immunization guidelines. These revised recommendations reduce the number of vaccines recommended for all children from 17 to 11, removing universal recommendations for important and widely administered vaccines that protect against influenza, meningitis, and Hepatitis A and B.

Against expert analysis and in the absence of safety issues, the shift generated substantial pushback from leading medical and public health experts, who raise concerns about impacts on vaccine accessibility, parental confidence, and long-term health complications. Below is a round-up of key stakeholders' reactions with direct links to their statements.

PFID’s full statement is available here.

American Academy of Pediatrics

“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. This is no way to make our country healthier.

Find the full statement here.

American College of Physicians

“The ACP is vehemently opposed to the administration’s attempt to throw out the U.S. vaccine schedule and unilaterally substitute guidance from other countries. The evidence is clear that vaccines prevent deaths, hospitalizations, and spread of disease. The U.S. childhood immunization schedule is the result of decades of rigorous, transparent scientific review designed to prevent illness, hospitalizations, outbreaks, and death in a large, diverse population with uneven access to care.”

Find the full statement here.

American College of Preventative Medicine

“The ACPM supports the previous childhood and adolescent vaccine schedule and the strength of prior recommendations. Vaccines are safe and effective at preventing disease and serious complications. As with all medical care, vaccination has always been and should always remain a choice made through informed discussion between patients, parents and their clinicians. Government recommendations are just that: guidance intended to reflect the best available science and to support providers and families in making informed decisions.”

Find the full statement here.

American Lung Association

“The American Lung Association is deeply concerned about the changes made to the childhood immunization schedule, including weakening the recommendation for flu shots. The significant changes were made without going through the rigorous, scientific review process that has guided U.S. vaccine recommendations for decades. They will cause confusion for parents and healthcare providers, reduce vaccination rates and increase the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses. 

Find the full statement here.

American Medical Association

“Changes of this magnitude require careful review, expert and public input, and clear scientific justification. That level of rigor and transparency was not part of this decision. When longstanding recommendations are altered without a robust, evidence-based process, it undermines public trust and puts children at unnecessary risk of preventable disease. The scientific evidence remains unchanged, and the AMA supports continued access to childhood immunizations recommended by national medical specialty societies.”

Find the full statement here.

American Physician Groups

“What has occurred is without precedent in several decades of U.S. policy on vaccines. Without any deliberative process, and in disregard of reams of scientific evidence on vaccine safety and effectiveness, the strong and longstanding U.S. recommendations about protecting children from preventable illness through immunization have been torn to pieces. Coming on the heels of earlier decisions by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that also lacked a scientific basis, this latest action places at risk for millions of children as well as the adults whom they may eventually grow up to be.”

Find the full statement here.

American Public Health Association

“This schedule is the result of a secretive process done by unknown people, without the benefit of public input. A review of the document used to justify the decision demonstrates a basic lack of scientific knowledge of vaccination science and public health principles.  This secretive process is consistent with Secretary Kennedy’s predetermined goal of reducing the number of vaccines for children and then finding some shred of evidence to support the goal.”

Find the full statement here.

American Society for Meningitis Prevention

“U.S. meningococcal disease cases have risen sharply since 2021 and now exceed pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, 503 confirmed and probable cases were reported based on preliminary data – the highest number since 2013. ... Vaccines must remain accessible without unnecessary barriers or confusion that make it harder for families to protect their children. No parent should face the loss that so many in the ASMP community have endured.”

Find the full statement here.

Families USA

“Let’s be clear: the science has not changed; vaccines are just as safe and effective as they have always been — only the politics changed. Without any public process or evidence-based medical reason, the HHS Secretary is altering decades-long vaccine policy that has kept millions of children safe from the worst diseases.”

Find the full statement here.

Grandparents for Vaccines

“For generations, grandparents have seen firsthand what happens when children are not protected. We remember polio wards, measles outbreaks, deaths from the meningococcal sepsis and meningitis. … Grandparents for Vaccines says now more than ever, the grandchildren of America rely on being protected by these doctors, whom they trust not to follow the political winds.”

Find the full statement here.

Infectious Disease Society of America

“Making these changes amid ongoing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases shows a disregard for the real confusion families already face. Disease prevalence differs country to country, and there has been demonstrated and ongoing need in the U.S. for the vaccines included in the childhood vaccine schedule. … It is irresponsible to haphazardly change vaccine recommendations without a solid scientific basis and transparent process. The commitment the U.S. has made to protecting children from vaccine-preventable illness and death must remain a top priority.”   

Find the full statement here.

National Consumers Leage (NCL)

“By cutting recommended childhood vaccines without evidence-based rationale or expert input, this action recklessly discards decades of peer-reviewed research demonstrating vaccines are safe, effective, and essential to preventing serious childhood illness. The U.S. faces distinct disease risks and health system challenges that demand a strong immunization schedule. Weakening these recommendations will further erode trust in the CDC, lower vaccination rates, and lead to avoidable outbreaks that expose children to preventable disease.”

Find the full statement here.

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

“Despite HHS’ assertions, the scientific evidence and extensive safety monitoring data supporting vaccines have not changed. Vaccines remain the most effective tool for preventing the spread of life-threatening infectious diseases. … Families are encouraged to consult their trusted pediatric nurse practitioner, pediatrician, or other pediatric health care provider for evidence-based vaccine guidance to protect their children.”

Find the full statement here.

Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease

“No new safety signals, disease trends, or clinical findings have emerged that would warrant narrowing routine recommendations. Replacing and 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.”

Find the full statement here.

Vaccinate Your Family

“Our nation’s vaccine recommendations were made based on the uniquely complicated U.S. healthcare system, in order to ensure that all children are protected from circulating infectious diseases. We will continue our lifesaving work to empower people with credible information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases as we continue to face record–breaking outbreaks, deaths, and insufficient federal guidance.”

Find the full statement here.

Trust for America’s Health, National Association of County and City Health Officials, and Big Cities Health Coalition – Joint

“Immunizations are the most effective defense we have against a host of deadly and painful illnesses. Ensuring all children receive the vaccines they need on time stops diseases from spreading in the community and ensures healthy childhood development. We see the positive impact each day, as diseases once commonplace are now rare, and kids are in school instead of being home sick or hospitalized due to preventable illness. Creating new barriers to immunizations, as [this] announcement does, will make it harder for children to have the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.”

Find the full statement here.