Trump Directs CDC to Realign Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

In another attempt to change the childhood vaccine schedule, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to review the assessment issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earlier this year. In that assessment, HHS found that the U.S. recommended more core childhood vaccines than its peer developed nations. In January, after the assessment was released, HHS announced changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. So far, this change has been temporarily blocked by a federal court through a preliminary injunction issued in March after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical organizations amended an existing lawsuit against HHS to dispute the vaccine schedule changes.

While peer nations may have different vaccine schedules, it is important to understand why U.S. vaccine recommendations are appropriate for children here in the U.S. and why recommendations may differ by country. The AAP has a fact sheet on its website, explaining that vaccine recommendations are largely based on a population’s risk of exposure to a disease and how that disease impacts health. For example, the U.S. does not recommend routine immunization for tuberculosis, typhoid, yellow fever, malaria, meningococcal disease (for infants), or dengue, while these are routinely recommended in other countries. AAP also points out that certain vaccines are not available in every country, which can lead to nuances in vaccine schedules, especially for combination vaccines.

Last year, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) released a statement on their website recommending that Pennsylvanians follow the immunization recommendations issued by AAP, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Both the PA State Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine strongly support PA DOH’s endorsement of these evidence-based immunization schedules and the recommendations of these trusted medical organizations.

As childhood vaccine recommendations continue to be debated at a national level, patients should continue to consult their physician before making any vaccine related decisions.