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An comprehensive overhaul of US childhood vaccination protocols has resulted in a reduction in the number of routinely advised vaccines from 17 to 11.

The newly issued list from the CDC retains core vaccines for diseases like poliomyelitis and measles. However, several others, including hepatitis A and B and coronavirus vaccines, are now classified based on personal risk factors and dependent on "shared medical decision-making" between doctors and guardians.

"The revised guideline is dangerous and needless," stated the AAP, labeling the policy.

This sweeping policy change constitutes the latest significant move undertaken under the present administration by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Official Rationale and International Comparison

Kennedy claimed the overhaul came "following an exhaustive analysis" and "protects kids, respects families, and rebuilds confidence in the health system."

"This bringing the U.S. childhood immunization calendar with global standards while enhancing openness and parental choice," he continued.

According to the announcement, the new core recommendation for all children will include immunizations for:

• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
• Poliovirus
• DTaP/Tdap (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis)
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Pneumococcal disease
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Chickenpox

3 Categories of Guidance

The new framework establishes 3 distinct tiers of immunization guidance:

1. Core Vaccines: The eleven immunizations mentioned above are recommended for every children.
2. Risk-Based Recommendations: This category includes vaccines for RSV, Hep A, hepatitis B, dengue fever, and meningococcal strains (ACWY and B). These are suggested based on a patient's individual risk factors.
3. Optional Vaccines: Vaccinations for the coronavirus, influenza, and rotavirus are now left to discretionary consultation and decision by parents and their physicians.

For the time being, medical insurance will still pay for immunizations that are still recommended until the end of 2025.

Global Context and Recent Debate

The CDC performed a comparison of current childhood schedules with those of twenty other industrialized nations. It determined the US was "a global outlier" in both the quantity of diseases targeted and the number of shots administered, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

This recent announcement comes weeks after a separate advisory panel modified the timing for the first hepatitis B shot. Previously, a first shot was recommended for infants within 24 hours of birth. Revised guidelines last winter moved that to two months after birth if the parent tested negative for the virus.

That earlier recommendation was roundly criticised by pediatric doctors, with the American Academy of Pediatrics calling it "a risky step that will harm children."