President Trump released a Presidential Memorandum asking the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reassess U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations. CDC followed by signing a decision memorandum on January 5.
The decision was signed by CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neill and is currently under Section 508 review, according to an HHS announcement. The revised recommendations are based on an analysis of 20 other nations’ vaccine schedules. The following things were considered before a decision was made:
- “Vaccine uptake
- Public trust
- Evaluated clinical and epidemiological evidence
- Knowledge gaps
- Examined vaccine mandates”
The CDC now recommends the following vaccines:
- For all children: measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella.
- For high-risk children: RSV monoclonal antibodies, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal B, meningococcal ACWY, and dengue.
The agency has stated that the decision to vaccinate children against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza, and COVID-19 will be up to parents based on shared clinical decision making. All vaccines mentioned above will continue to be covered by insurance without cost sharing, according to HHS.
