Pediatricians Challenge CDC on Vaccine Schedules, Sparking Public Health Concerns
The decades-long consensus on childhood immunizations has fractured, as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) diverges from updated recommendations issued by the Centers for disease Control and Prevention (CDC).This shift, occurring amidst legal challenges and accusations of political interference, is creating confusion for families and raising concerns among public health experts.
On Monday, the AAP responded by releasing its own immunization guidelines, which now differ substantially from the federal government’s. The AAP, representing the majority of the nation’s pediatricians, continues to recommend routine vaccination against 18 diseases – the previous CDC standard – a position adopted before the recent leadership changes at HHS. Endorsed by a dozen medical groups, the AAP schedule is currently the preferred option for most healthcare practitioners. California’s public health department has already advised families and physicians to follow the AAP schedule.
“As there is a lot of confusion going on with the constant new recommendations coming out of the federal government, it is indeed vital that we have a stable, trusted, evidence-based immunization schedule to follow and that’s the AAP schedule,” stated Dr. Pia Pannaraj, a member of the AAP’s infectious disease committee and professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego.
Both the AAP and the CDC continue to recommend vaccination against common and serious diseases including measles,mumps,rubella,polio,pertussis,tetanus,diphtheria,Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib),pneumococcal disease,human papillomavirus (HPV),and varicella (chickenpox). Though, the AAP urges continued routine vaccination against hepatitis A and B, COVID-19, rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), while the CDC now considers these optional for most children, reserving recommendations for high-risk groups.
The schedules also diverge on timing. The AAP recommends two doses of the HPV vaccine starting between ages 9 and 12, citing the benefits of earlier immune response. While recent studies suggest a single dose of the HPV vaccine provides comparable protection, a single-dose version is not yet licensed in the U.S. Furthermore,the AAP maintains its long-standing advice for a combined measles,mumps,and rubella (MMR) and varicella vaccine to minimize the number of injections children receive.
This practice was challenged in September when a key CDC advisory panel, reportedly comprised of appointees selected by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recommended administering the MMR and varicella vaccines separately – a move that baffled public health experts due to a perceived lack of scientific justification.
The AAP is actively challenging these changes in court, filing a lawsuit against HHS. The suit alleges that Kennedy’s alterations to national vaccine policy are “arbitrary and capricious,” implemented without the rigorous scientific review that historically preceded such decisions. Simultaneously,the AAP faced a lawsuit from Children’s Health Defense,the anti-vaccine institution founded and formerly led by Kennedy,alleging racketeering related to the AAP’s long-standing vaccine guidance.
Adding to the concerns, the CDC’s data collection efforts – crucial for informing public health policy – have demonstrably slowed under Kennedy’s leadership. A review published Monday revealed that 38 of 82 CDC databases previously updated monthly now have unexplained interruptions, with most pauses lasting six months or longer. Nearly 90% of these paused databases contain vaccination information.
“The evidence is damning: The administration’s anti-vaccine stance has interrupted the reliable flow of the data we need to keep Americans safe from preventable infections,” wrote Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo in an editorial for Annals of Internal Medicine. Dr. Marrazzo, an infectious disease specialist, was terminated last year as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after publicly criticizing the administration’s public health policies.
The unfolding situation underscores a growing crisis of confidence in federal public health guidance and highlights the critical role of independent medical organizations like the AAP in safeguarding children’s health.
