As reported by NBC News, on March 16, 2026 a federal judge in Massachusetts blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent overhaul of the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical groups brought against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), arguing that the changes to vaccine recommendations and to an influential vaccine advisory committee violated federal law.
In January, Kennedy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made wide-ranging changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, reducing the number of recommended diseases to be vaccinated against from 18 to 11. The change dropped recommendations that all babies should be protected against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, RSV, dengue and two types of bacterial meningitis.
As a result, more than 200 organizations, including the American Medical Association, the March of Dimes and the Autism Science Foundation, announced they would disregard the changes and instead follow the AAP’s immunization schedule.
The ruling also put on hold the new members Kennedy has appointed to the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee since June. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) helps shape U.S. vaccine policy, including recommendations that influence the childhood vaccine schedule and which shots insurance must cover.
The ruling also stayed any of the votes the ACIP has taken since June, including a vote to no longer recommend the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns.
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