Within the midst of what might be one of the vital extreme flu seasons on report, Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s CDC has ceased recommending all kids get vaccinated for the seasonal flu, together with 5 different beforehand really useful vaccines.
Guided by RFK Jr.’s hand-picked, anti-vaccine advisory committee, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s new childhood vaccine schedule reduced its recommendations from 17 immunizations to 11 on Monday.
Moderately than cite knowledge, Kennedy Jr. said the choice was made to higher align the U.S. with “peer, developed nations” ― citing Denmark, particularly, which immunizes kids in opposition to 10 illnesses in comparison with the 18 beforehand really useful in the USA.
The choice baffled specialists exterior RFK Jr.’s purview.
“There isn’t any scientific proof supporting the change in suggestions, and subsequently, Mr. Kennedy was unable to supply any,” mentioned Beth Jacobs, Ph.D., an epidemiologist and professor emerita from the College of Arizona who has studied vaccine refusal.
Jacobs can also be a founding member of Defend Public Well being, a volunteer community of well being professionals combating well being misinformation.
“As an alternative, HHS mentioned that fewer folks getting vaccinated was a purpose for the change,” she mentioned. “You don’t want to be a scientist to know that that is nonsensical, and I don’t consider that the adjustments replicate the opinions of skilled CDC scientists.”
Andrew Harnik by way of Getty Pictures
CDC’s flu vaccine downgrade coincides with a pointy spike in hospitalizations for flu-like sickness throughout the nation, knowledge released Monday by the CDC reveals.
The company estimates there have been 120,000 hospitalizations up to now this season, almost a 50% enhance in comparison with the prior week. Round 8% of well being care supplier visits throughout that interval had been for flu-like signs, the highest since 1997, when the CDC first began monitoring that knowledge.
Whereas the 2025/2026 flu vaccine isn’t as efficient at combating this season’s flu pressure because it has been in prior years, it stays remarkably efficient at preserving children from getting significantly ailing.
In contrast with their non-vaccinated friends, data collected in England show that children who received the flu vaccine this yr are nonetheless 72-75% much less more likely to be hospitalized with the illness.
“It isn’t too late to get vaccinated,” mentioned Jacobs.
The American Academy of Pediatrics now releases its personal, evidence-based immunization schedule that Jacobs recommends dad and mom comply with as an alternative.
One other vaccine the CDC now not unanimously recommends for kids is hepatitis B, a shot administered routinely since 1991 that’s drastically lowered the prevalence of lifelong illnesses like most cancers, liver failure and cirrhosis.
Additionally on the listing: rotavirus. In Denmark, RFK Jr.’s mannequin nation, the diarrhea-causing virus hospitalizes eight instances extra children than it does within the U.S., the place, till yesterday, all kids had been really useful to get the vaccine:
Along with hepatitis B, rotavirus and influenza, the CDC additionally not recommends widespread vaccination for hepatitis A, sure types of meningitis, and RSV.
“That is however one other cannon shot at a load-bearing wall within the U.S. vaccination program,” mirrored Jacobs. “Not solely will Kennedy’s actions put children at higher danger for critical sickness and dying from vaccine-preventable illnesses, he’s additionally additional undermining belief in public well being and inflicting pointless confusion by forcing steering that’s opposite to the scientific proof.”
