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AAP Rejects CDC’s Narrowed Vaccine Schedule, Upholds 18‑Disease Routine Amid Legal Challenges

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AAP Reverses Endorsement of CDC’s Revised Schedule On 26 January 2026 the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in Pediatrics announcing it will no longer endorse the CDC’s updated childhood‑and‑adolescent immunization schedule, reaffirming routine vaccination against 18 diseases. The academy’s 2026 schedule retains all previously recommended shots, including RSV, influenza, hepatitis A/B, rotavirus and meningococcal vaccines. President Dr. Andrew Racine emphasized six decades of public‑health benefits and pledged to keep guidance science‑based. [1][2][3]

CDC Narrows Routine Use of Multiple Childhood Vaccines The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a revised schedule that restricts routine administration of RSV, influenza, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus and meningococcal vaccines to high‑risk children or to cases decided through shared clinical decision‑making. The change draws partially from Denmark’s risk‑based approach and was presented by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a transparency measure, not a response to new safety data. Insurers will continue covering the vaccines even when they are not given routinely. [1][2][3][4]

Broad Medical Community Backs AAP’s 2026 Schedule Twelve leading medical organizations—including the American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America and American Academy of Family Physicians—have formally endorsed the AAP’s schedule, reinforcing its credibility. Surveys of pediatricians show a growing preference for AAP guidance over the CDC plan, citing unchanged scientific evidence. State health departments are split along partisan lines: all Democratic‑governed states have announced they will follow the AAP, while only four Republican‑led states plan to adopt the CDC version. [1][2][3]

Legal Opposition Targets Both CDC Changes and AAP Anti‑vaccine group Children’s Health Defense filed a racketeering lawsuit against the AAP on 26 January, alleging concealed financial ties and misleading safety claims. Earlier, on 20 January, seven major medical associations sued the federal government in Massachusetts federal court, seeking to restore the pre‑April 15 2025 CDC schedule and halt the current ACIP meeting. The complaint highlights the recent overhaul of ACIP membership by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noting that new members such as Dr. Kimberly Biss and Dr. Adam Urato have expressed anti‑vaccine views. [1][2][4]

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Timeline

1991 – CDC recommends a universal hepatitis B birth‑dose within 24 hours, a program that later prevents about 90,000 deaths and cuts pediatric infections by 95 %[3][23].

Pre‑1990s (pre‑Hib era) – Pediatricians routinely treat meningitis with spinal taps, illustrating the disease burden before the Hib vaccine and underscoring why schedule rollbacks raise high stakes[4].

Dec 5, 2025 – ACIP votes 8‑3 to end the universal hepatitis B birth‑dose, limiting it to infants of HBsAg‑positive or untested mothers and shifting the first dose to two months for others; Dr. Paul Offit warns the decision “has just condemned hundreds of children to a shorter life”[21].

Dec 5, 2025 – Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who earlier fired the entire ACIP panel, backs the vote, saying the change aligns U.S. guidance with peer nations[2].

Dec 5, 2025 – Dr. Vin Gupta tells KING 5 that ending the universal birth‑dose “will sow confusion and doubt about vaccine safety,” criticizing CDC, HHS, and FDA guidance[29].

Dec 6, 2025 – CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neill accepts the new hepatitis B guidance, confirming the birth‑dose remains only for at‑risk infants and that insurers will continue covering the vaccine through 2026[17].

Dec 16, 2025 – CDC formally ends the universal birth‑dose recommendation, stating the series may start at two months for low‑risk infants; AMA trustee Sandra Adamson Fryhofer calls the rollback “confusing and preventable illness and deaths”[15][14].

Dec 19, 2025 – Michigan’s chief medical executive Natasha Bagdasarian directs doctors to follow AAP and AAFP schedules rather than the CDC, calling the CDC’s delayed birth‑dose policy “well‑evidenced” and urging reduced barriers to access[14].

Dec 2025 – President Trump issues an executive order directing HHS to compare the U.S. schedule with 20 peer countries, labeling the United States a “global outlier” and prompting a forthcoming schedule overhaul[1].

Jan 5, 2026 – CDC releases a revised childhood immunization schedule that trims universal recommendations from 17 to 11 diseases, categorizing vaccines as universal, high‑risk, or shared‑decision; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the reform “protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health”[1].

Jan 5, 2026 – HHS emphasizes the new schedule is advisory, insurers must still cover all CDC‑recommended vaccines as of Dec 31, 2025, and states may retain their own school‑entry requirements[8].

Jan 6, 2026 – President Trump posts that “America will no longer require 72 ‘jabs’,” sharing a misleading graphic that conflates federal recommendations with legal mandates[9].

Jan 10, 2026 – Physicians warn the shift to risk‑based and shared‑decision categories could fuel hesitancy, complicate clinic workflows, and undermine confidence; Kennedy frames the change as “alignment with peers and transparency”[7].

Jan 15‑20, 2026 – Seven medical associations file a federal lawsuit in Massachusetts seeking to restore the pre‑change schedule as of April 15, 2025 and to halt the current ACIP meeting, calling the overhaul “egregious, reckless, and dangerous”[5].

Jan 20, 2026 – The American Academy of Pediatrics and more than 200 medical and advocacy groups send a letter to Congress demanding an investigation into the schedule change, citing a lack of scientific evidence and absent public‑meeting discussion[7].

Jan 26, 2026 – AAP publishes a policy statement in Pediatrics reaffirming routine vaccination against 18 diseases, rejecting the CDC’s 11‑disease schedule as “unscientific” and noting “for more than 60 years, millions of children… have benefited from routine childhood vaccinations”[6].

Jan 26, 2026 – AAP releases its own updated schedule that adds a routine RSV vaccine and retains hepatitis A/B, rotavirus, flu, and meningococcal shots for all children; twelve major medical groups endorse the guidance[4].

Jan 26, 2026 – AAP leaders such as Dr. Sean O’Leary urge parents to trust pediatricians, saying “the science hasn’t changed,” while Dr. Andrew Racine stresses the long‑standing benefits of vaccines[4][6].

Jan 26, 2026 – Children’s Health Defense sues the AAP alleging racketeering, but the AAP rejects the accusations, citing reviews that find no safety concerns[6].

Jan 27, 2026 – State vaccine guidance diverges sharply; all Democratic‑governed states announce they will not follow the federal schedule, while only four Republican‑led states do so, creating a partisan split in public‑health policy[4].

2026‑2027 (future) – CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is slated to meet later in 2026 to review additional vaccine categories, though the schedule remains advisory and state adoption varies[4].

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