Federal Health Officials Scale Back Number of Recommended Vaccines for Children

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr and the CDC are revising the number of recommended routine shots to prevent diseases in US children from 17 to 11. The announcement, made on January 5, 2026, is a significant shift in federal vaccine policy and is described by the HHS secretary as the most significant change in public health practice in decades.¹

The acting director of the CDC, Jim O’Neill, has already updated the agency’s immunization schedule to reflect these changes, which are effective immediately.¹

Throughout 2025, HHS and CDC took actions that critics say go against decades of evidence-based clinical data on vaccine safety and efficacy. One of the first actions taken by Kennedy was to reconstitute the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a key body that advises the CDC on the use of vaccines in the US. All 17 members of the committee were removed and replaced with new individuals, some of whom are associated with antivaccine organizations or groups.²

In response to this, alongside other guideline changes, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published its own recommendations for child and adolescent immunizations in 2025, diverging from ACIP. The AAP emphasized that these were based on decades of evidence-based guidance dedicated to supporting children and their families.²

In May 2025, the CDC revised its COVID-19 vaccination guidance, removing recommendations for routine immunization for healthy children and pregnant women. Previously, the agency recommended COVID-19 vaccination for anyone 6 months or older.²

Individual states, not the federal government, have the authority to mandate vaccinations; however, recommendations from federal agencies such as the CDC greatly influence state-based recommendations. Additionally, the former CDC director who oversaw vaccine policy, Demetre Daskalakis, MPH, said prior to his resignation that it was unclear what evidence led to these decisions.¹

“Unfortunately, what we've seen with [Kennedy’s] vaccine panel [is that] he kicked out all the actual experts in the field with decades of experience [and] put in an entirely new group of people who just happened to agree with his ideas about the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccines, who don't have much deep expertise in evaluating vaccine data, and who have shown that they don't want to even hear from people who do have that expertise,” immunologist Morgan McSweeney, PhD, said in an interview with Pharmacy Times.³

Now more than ever, the pharmacist is vital when helping patients navigate a complex, ever-changing health care landscape. Although there are many steps patients can take to reduce their risk of getting sick—such as washing hands properly, avoiding people who are sick, wearing masks, and social distancing—the most effective way is to get and stay up to date on recommended routine immunizations. In particular, community pharmacists are key to expanding access to immunizations nationwide.

The accessibility of pharmacies, due to their convenient locations, extended hours, and trusted relationships within communities, positions them as reliable and convenient sites for immunizations and consultations. Barriers to immunization rates include limited provider access, confusion over updated guidelines, and concerns about service reimbursement, which are common and can hinder patient adherence to vaccine schedules.^2,4

“Here, I see the burden of evidence, the burden of proof being on any recommended changes. We have decades of data showing in very great detail the safety profile, the risk profile, the benefit in efficacy, and the reduction of risks from all of these different things that we protect against with vaccines.… What I wouldn't want to do is abandon that very well-understood approach and move to something totally experimental, based on someone's hunch, based on one observational study they read that supported their preexisting opinion. That's what I'm afraid will happen,” McSweeney said.³

Health organizations have released statements on the changes, many expressing alarm.

“Today’s changes to the US childhood vaccination schedule mark another disturbing step backward in infectious disease prevention and federal public health leadership. America has devoted decades of epidemiologic surveillance, clinical trials, continuous safety monitoring, and cost-effectiveness analysis to carefully develop the prior recommendations,” said a statement from the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease. “That scientific foundation remains intact. No new safety signals, disease trends, or clinical findings have emerged that would warrant narrowing routine recommendations.”⁵

REFERENCES

1. Mandavilli A. Kennedy scales back the number of vaccines recommended for children. New York Times. January 5, 2026. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/health/children-vaccines-cdc-kennedy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CFA.Xapy.XwXgFI7UEUTJ&smid=url-share

2. Gerlach A. American Academy of Pediatrics releases 2025 child, adolescent immunization recommendations. Pharmacy Times. August 21, 2025. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/american-academy-of-pediatrics-releases-2025-child-adolescent-immunization-recommendations

3. McSweeney M, Antrim A. ACIP shake-up raises stakes for evidence-based vaccine decisions, expert warns. Pharmacy Times. December 12, 2025. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/acip-shake-up-raises-stakes-for-evidence-based-vaccine-decisions-expert-warns

4. Owili AE. Preserving access to preventive care amid a changing health care environment. Pharmacy Times. December 18, 2025. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/preserving-access-to-preventive-care-amid-a-changing-health-care-environment

5. Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease statement on changing the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease. January 5, 2026. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.fightinfectiousdisease.org/post/pfid-statement-on-cdc-s-narrowing-of-the-u-s-childhood-vaccine-schedule