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An comprehensive overhaul of US pediatric vaccination protocols has led to a reduction in the quantity of routinely advised immunizations from 17 to 11.

The newly issued schedule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention retains core shots for diseases like polio and rubeola. However, several others, including hepatitis A and B and coronavirus vaccines, are now classified based on individual risk factors and subject to "shared clinical decision-making" involving doctors and parents.

"The revised recommendation is dangerous and unnecessary," stated the AAP, labeling the policy.

This far-reaching guideline shift constitutes the most recent major move implemented under the present government by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Official Justification and International Comparison

Kennedy claimed the revision came "after an exhaustive review" and "safeguards kids, honors families, and rebuilds confidence in the health system."

"We are bringing the American pediatric vaccine calendar with global standards while enhancing transparency and parental choice," he continued.

Per the announcement, the updated universal schedule for all minors will include immunizations for:

• MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
• Poliovirus
• Pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and diphtheria (DTaP/Tdap)
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Pneumococcal disease
• HPV
• Varicella (chickenpox)

3 Categories of Guidance

The new framework establishes three separate tiers of vaccine guidance:

1. Core Vaccines: The 11 shots mentioned above are recommended for every children.
2. Conditional Vaccines: This group contains shots for respiratory syncytial virus, Hep A, hepatitis B, dengue, and meningococcal types (ACWY and B). They are recommended based on a patient's specific risk factors.
3. Shared Decision-Making Vaccines: Vaccinations for Covid-19, the flu, and rotavirus are now subject to case-by-case consultation and decision by families and their doctors.

For the time being, health insurance will still cover immunizations that are still on the schedule until the close of 2025.

International Perspective and Recent Controversy

The CDC performed a comparison of existing pediatric recommendations with those of 20 other developed nations. It determined the US was "an international exception" in both the number of illnesses covered and the amount of doses administered, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

This latest change follows a short time following a separate advisory committee adjusted the schedule for the first hepatitis B vaccine. Formerly, a first shot was recommended for newborns within 24 hours of birth. Revised rules last December shifted that to two months post birth if the parent tested negative for the virus.

That prior recommendation was roundly criticised by paediatricians, with the American Academy of Pediatrics describing it "a risky step that will hurt children."