CDC slashes childhood vaccine schedule, citing 'universal health care' model from Denmark.
Under the guidance of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has significantly reduced the recommended vaccination schedule for children in the US. The new guidelines, modeled after those of Denmark, a country with universal healthcare, recommend 11 diseases for childhood immunization, down from 17 previously.
The move is intended to address declining public trust in vaccinations, which Kennedy attributes to misinformation spread by anti-vaccine activists. However, health experts disagree, warning that the changes could have devastating consequences for child health. The American Academy of Pediatrics President, Andrew Racine, called the decision "dangerous and unnecessary," pointing out that the US is not Denmark.
The revised schedule recommends immunizations against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and varicella. Certain groups will still have access to vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and hepatitis A and B.
Criticism of the changes comes from various quarters, including the American Medical Association (AMA), which says that such drastic decisions require rigorous scientific review, expert input, and transparency. The AMA accuses Kennedy's administration of making unilateral changes without proper justification.
As a result, confusion over vaccination recommendations is likely to persist, potentially further eroding public trust in vaccines and leading to increased vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.
Under the guidance of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has significantly reduced the recommended vaccination schedule for children in the US. The new guidelines, modeled after those of Denmark, a country with universal healthcare, recommend 11 diseases for childhood immunization, down from 17 previously.
The move is intended to address declining public trust in vaccinations, which Kennedy attributes to misinformation spread by anti-vaccine activists. However, health experts disagree, warning that the changes could have devastating consequences for child health. The American Academy of Pediatrics President, Andrew Racine, called the decision "dangerous and unnecessary," pointing out that the US is not Denmark.
The revised schedule recommends immunizations against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and varicella. Certain groups will still have access to vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and hepatitis A and B.
Criticism of the changes comes from various quarters, including the American Medical Association (AMA), which says that such drastic decisions require rigorous scientific review, expert input, and transparency. The AMA accuses Kennedy's administration of making unilateral changes without proper justification.
As a result, confusion over vaccination recommendations is likely to persist, potentially further eroding public trust in vaccines and leading to increased vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.
CDC should've thought it through before making such drastic changes 
11 vaccines down from 17? that's a big deal 
what about the kids who need protection against all these diseases? 
health experts are right to be worried 
and I'm like seriously how can we trust the CDC now? 
CDC just slashed the childhood vaccine schedule like that? I get why they're trying to boost public trust after all the anti-vax drama, but 11 diseases down from 17 is still a lot for me to wrap my head around 
What's next? Are we gonna say it's okay to just play it safe and not worry about vaccines anymore? 
I mean, I get that Denmark has universal healthcare and all, but come on... they're a whole different country with different priorities 
I mean, I'm not saying it's all sunshine and rainbows, but let's keep an open mind, you know? 
We don't wanna be too quick to judge. 
. Do we really want to risk that by skimping on our vaccinations? The Danish model might work for them, but we can't just transpose their healthcare system to ours 
.
. And Denmark isn't even in the same boat - their universal healthcare model is totally different from our system here. What if these diseases come back and spread like wildfire because we're not vaccinated enough?! 
I'm all for being open about vaccine issues, but this feels like a knee-jerk reaction to me. We should be having more informed conversations, not sweeping changes like this. What do you guys think?