The US has taken a significant step by reducing the number of vaccines it recommends for every child, from 16 to 11. This change, effective immediately, means that protection against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis, and RSV is no longer broadly recommended for all children. Instead, these vaccines will be recommended only for certain high-risk groups or when doctors decide they are necessary in a process called "shared decision-making."
This shift has been a long-sought goal of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, medical experts have expressed concerns that the decision will create confusion for parents and potentially lead to an increase in preventable diseases. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to recommend the 11 vaccines for all children, but the change in guidance may influence state regulations and vaccination requirements.
The move comes as US vaccination rates have been declining, and the share of children with exemptions has reached an all-time high. Rates of diseases that can be protected against with vaccines, such as measles and whooping cough, are also rising across the country.