In a drastic and unprecedented decision that was made in response to a directive from President Donald Trump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will now universally recommend 11 vaccines instead of the previous 17, a move that the Department for Health and Human Services said would better align the U.S. schedule with those of certain other wealthy nations. The decision is effective immediately.
The agency will continue endorsing immunizations against “diseases for which there is international consensus,” among them polio and measles. However, shots for other infections, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), meningitis, and hepatitis A and B, will only be recommended for “high-risk groups,” while vaccines for flu, COVID and rotavirus would be given through “shared clinical decision-making.”
Although the new recommendations are not a mandate, as individual states craft their own vaccine requirements, CDC’s guidance is expected to influence statewide decisions.
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