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An extensive revision of US childhood immunisation protocols has resulted in a reduction in the number of routinely recommended vaccines from 17 to 11.

The newly issued schedule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes core shots for diseases like poliomyelitis and rubeola. However, others, including liver infection vaccines and coronavirus immunizations, are now classified based on personal risk factors and subject to "joint clinical deliberation" involving doctors and guardians.

"This revised guideline is risky and unnecessary," criticized the American Academy of Pediatrics, describing the change.

This sweeping policy shift represents the most recent major action implemented under the present government by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Government Justification and International Alignment

Kennedy claimed the overhaul followed "after an thorough analysis" and "protects kids, honors parents, and rebuilds trust in public health."

"This aligning the U.S. childhood immunization calendar with international consensus while enhancing openness and parental choice," he added.

According to the statement, the new universal schedule for every minors will include immunizations for:

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

Three Categories of Recommendations

The revised framework establishes three distinct categories of immunization guidance:

1. Universal Recommendations: The eleven shots mentioned above are recommended for all children.
2. Conditional Recommendations: This group includes vaccines for RSV, Hep A, Hep B, dengue, and meningococcal strains (ACWY and B). They are recommended based on a child's individual risk factors.
3. Optional Group: Vaccinations for the coronavirus, influenza, and a stomach virus are now subject to case-by-case discussion and decision by families and their doctors.

Currently, health insurance will continue to pay for vaccines that are still recommended until the close of 2025.

Global Context and Recent Debate

The health agency conducted a review of existing childhood recommendations with those of 20 other industrialized nations. It determined the US was "a global outlier" in both the number of illnesses covered and the number of doses administered, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

This recent change comes weeks after a separate CDC panel modified the timing for the first liver infection vaccine. Previously, a first shot was recommended for infants within a day of delivery. Updated guidelines last winter shifted that to two months post birth if the mother tested non-reactive for the virus.

That prior recommendation was widely condemned by paediatricians, with the AAP describing it "a risky move that will hurt kids."