What parents need to know about the overhauled childhood vaccine schedule
CNN••health
Key Points:
- The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has revised the childhood vaccine schedule, reducing the number of vaccines broadly recommended for healthy children from previous guidelines to 11, while shifting some vaccines like flu, Covid-19, and rotavirus to a “shared clinical decision-making” approach.
- These are recommendations, not mandates, but they influence state vaccine requirements and insurance coverage; insurers must cover CDC-recommended vaccines without cost-sharing through 2025, though additional consultation costs may apply for vaccines now requiring shared decision-making.
- The changes were prompted by a directive from former President Trump to align the US schedule more closely with other developed nations, emphasizing parental choice and reduced vaccine exposure, but have been widely criticized by medical experts and organizations
