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An extensive overhaul of US childhood vaccination protocols has resulted in a decrease in the quantity of routinely advised vaccines from 17 to 11.

The freshly released list from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention retains essential vaccines for diseases like poliomyelitis and rubeola. However, others, such as hepatitis A and B and coronavirus immunizations, are now classified based on personal risk and dependent on "joint clinical decision-making" between doctors and guardians.

"This revised guideline is risky and needless," stated the AAP, describing the policy.

This sweeping policy shift constitutes the most recent major move undertaken under the current government by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Government Justification and International Alignment

Kennedy claimed the revision came "after an thorough review" and "safeguards kids, honors families, and restores confidence in the health system."

"We are aligning the American childhood vaccine schedule with global consensus while enhancing transparency and parental choice," he added.

Per the announcement, the new universal schedule for all children will include immunizations for:

• MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
• Poliovirus
• Pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and diphtheria (DTaP/Tdap)
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Pneumococcal disease
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Varicella (chickenpox)

Three Categories of Guidance

The revised structure establishes three separate tiers of immunization guidance:

1. Core Vaccines: The 11 immunizations listed above are recommended for every children.
2. Risk-Based Recommendations: This group includes vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus, Hep A, Hep B, dengue, and meningitis strains (ACWY and B). They are recommended based on a patient's individual risk factors.
3. Optional Vaccines: Immunizations for the coronavirus, the flu, and a stomach virus are now subject to discretionary consultation and decision between parents and their doctors.

Currently, medical insurance will still cover immunizations that are still on the schedule until the end of 2025.

Global Perspective and Recent Controversy

The CDC conducted a comparison of existing childhood schedules with those of 20 other developed nations. It found the United States was "an international exception" in both the quantity of diseases targeted and the amount of shots administered, the Department of Health and Human Services reported.

This recent change follows a short time following a different CDC panel modified the schedule for the first liver infection vaccine. Previously, a first dose was advised for infants within a day of delivery. Updated guidelines last December moved that to 60 days after birth if the mother tested non-reactive for hepatitis B.

That prior recommendation was widely condemned by paediatricians, with the American Academy of Pediatrics calling it "a dangerous step that will harm children."