Recent Changes to Children's Recommended Vaccinations in the US

As of a few days ago, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services), declared that the United States was going to change the number of vaccinations they recommend that children receive. Instead of the prior seventeen immunizations the government recommended, they are now recommending eleven; some of the most notable changes include omitting the Flu, Covid-19, and Hepatitis A /B shots.  He claims that the reason the U.S. is revising these policies is to reflect those in Canada, Great Britain, and Australia, all of which have free, nationwide healthcare. Although the CDC made these adjustments on their page shortly after RFK Jr.’s statement came out, professionals including Dr. Demetre Daskalakis (former CDC official in vaccination policy) and Dr. Helen Chu (a current physician and immunologist at the University of Washington- Seattle) expressed concern about these changes, believing that more doctors and other health professionals should have been consulted and this change will continue to increase fear in both children and their parents. Unfortunately, vaccination skepticism has been on the rise in recent years and has led to an increase in measles as well as the number of whooping cough cases throughout the country. If you are concerned about anything regarding immunizations, please ask your primary care physician for guidance.

Works Cited

Mandavilli, Apoorva. "Kennedy Scales Back the Number of Vaccines Recommended for Children." The New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026, www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/health/children-vaccines-cdc-kennedy.html. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.