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

The newly issued schedule from the CDC includes essential vaccines for illnesses like polio and rubeola. However, others, such as liver infection vaccines and coronavirus vaccines, are now classified based on individual risk and subject to "joint medical deliberation" involving physicians and parents.

"This new recommendation is risky and needless," criticized the American Academy of Pediatrics, describing the change.

This far-reaching policy shift represents the latest significant action implemented under the present government by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Government Rationale and Global Comparison

Kennedy asserted the revision followed "following an exhaustive analysis" and "safeguards children, respects parents, and rebuilds trust in public health."

"We are bringing the American childhood immunization calendar with global standards while enhancing openness and informed consent," he continued.

According to the announcement, the updated universal recommendation for every minors will include immunizations for:

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

Three Tiers of Recommendations

The revised framework establishes three distinct tiers of vaccine guidance:

1. Core Vaccines: The 11 shots mentioned above are recommended for all children.
2. Risk-Based Recommendations: This group contains vaccines for RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue fever, and meningitis types (ACWY and B). These are recommended based on a child's individual health circumstances.
3. Shared Decision-Making Vaccines: Immunizations for Covid-19, the flu, and a stomach virus are now subject to case-by-case consultation and choice by parents and their doctors.

Currently, medical coverage will still pay for vaccines that are currently on the schedule until the close of 2025.

Global Context and Recent Controversy

The CDC performed a review of current pediatric recommendations with those of twenty other developed nations. It determined the US was "a global outlier" in both the quantity of illnesses covered and the amount of doses required, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

This recent announcement follows weeks after a separate CDC committee adjusted the schedule for the initial liver infection vaccine. Previously, a first dose was advised for newborns within a day of delivery. Updated guidelines last December shifted that to two months post birth if the parent tested negative for the virus.

That earlier recommendation was widely criticised by paediatricians, with the American Academy of Pediatrics calling it "a risky step that will hurt children."