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AAP Reaffirms 18‑Disease Routine Schedule, Rejects CDC’s Narrowed Vaccine Plan

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AAP’s Policy Statement Overturns CDC Revision The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in Pediatrics on Jan 26 2026 declaring it will no longer endorse the CDC’s revised childhood and adolescent immunization schedule and will continue recommending routine shots for 18 diseases, citing longstanding scientific evidence and public‑health benefits [1][2].

CDC’s Updated Schedule Limits Several Vaccines to High‑Risk Groups The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new schedule that restricts routine administration of RSV, influenza, hepatitis A/B, rotavirus, and meningococcal vaccines to high‑risk children or to cases involving shared clinical decision‑making, a shift modeled partly on Denmark’s approach and not driven by new safety data [1][2][3].

Broad Medical Community Endorses AAP’s 2026 Schedule Twelve leading medical organizations—including the American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and American Academy of Family Physicians—formally backed the AAP’s 2026 schedule, reinforcing its credibility within the U.S. medical establishment [1][2][3].

Pediatricians Prefer AAP Guidance Over CDC Plan Surveys and statements from pediatric leaders show clinicians are choosing the AAP’s evidence‑based schedule, continuing routine RSV, flu, hepatitis, and meningococcal vaccinations, and expressing confidence that “the science hasn’t changed” despite the CDC’s new recommendations [3].

Children’s Health Defense Files Racketeering Lawsuit Against AAP Anti‑vaccine group Children’s Health Defense sued the AAP, alleging racketeering, undisclosed financial ties to manufacturers, and concealment of National Academy of Medicine findings; the AAP refuted the claims, pointing to safety reviews that found no evidence the schedule is unsafe [1][2].

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Timeline

1995 – The United States adopts a unified national childhood immunization schedule, creating a single grid of vaccines from birth through adolescence that standardizes recommendations and has kept vaccine‑preventable diseases rare for decades [5].

Pre‑1990s (pre‑Hib era) – Before the introduction of the Hib vaccine, meningitis is common and pediatricians frequently perform spinal taps; the later Hib rollout eliminates this burden, underscoring how routine vaccines reshape clinical practice [2].

Dec 16 2025 – The CDC drops the universal newborn hepatitis B dose, moving the first dose to two months for infants whose mothers test negative, a shift that sparks strong backlash from pediatricians who warn it endangers newborns [5].

Oct 2025 – The CDC changes its COVID‑19 vaccine guidance, moving from a recommendation for nearly all Americans to a “discretionary” approach that leaves the decision to individuals and their doctors [8].

Dec 2025 – President Donald Trump issues a directive ordering the Department of Health and Human Services to review the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule and compare it with 20 peer‑developed nations, citing the United States as an “outlier” in the number of recommended shots [6][14].

Dec 18 2025 – HHS announces a plan to overhaul the schedule in early 2026, aiming to cut the number of broadly recommended vaccines and align U.S. guidance with countries such as Denmark; Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posts “We’re on it” on X [6].

Dec 30 2025 – CMS removes four pediatric immunization quality measures from the 2026 Child and Adult Core Sets, shifting reporting from mandatory to voluntary and signaling a broader de‑emphasis on vaccine metrics [8].

Jan 5 2026 – The CDC releases a revised childhood immunization schedule that trims universal recommendations from 17–18 diseases to 11, categorizing vaccines as universal, high‑risk, or “shared clinical decision‑making.” Kennedy Jr. says the changes “protect children, respect families, and rebuild trust in public health” [1][14][17].

Jan 5 2026 – The federal overhaul ends universal recommendations for rotavirus, COVID‑19, influenza, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A/B, shifting those shots to parental‑clinician decision‑making; the HPV series is reduced to a single dose [7][11][12].

Jan 5 2026 – President Donald Trump posts on social media that “America will no longer require 72 ‘jabs’,” sharing a misleading graphic that conflates federal schedule changes with legal vaccine requirements [10].

Jan 6 2026 – HHS reiterates that the new schedule is advisory, not a mandate, but notes that many state school‑entry requirements historically follow CDC guidance; insurers must still cover all vaccines recommended as of Dec 31 2025, though families may incur extra costs for “risk‑based” shots [3][4].

Jan 10 2026 – Physicians warn that the new “shared decision‑making” language could fuel hesitancy, complicate clinic workflows, and lower protection against flu, rotavirus and other diseases; a survey shows only ≈ 20 % of adults understand the concept [9].

Jan 10 2026 – Washington state doctors, including Dr. Francis Bell, call the schedule a “retrograde step,” and the Washington Department of Health pledges to continue aligning with the AAP’s broader recommendations [16].

Jan 20 2026 – KFF analysis finds that 28 states have issued guidance that diverges from the CDC schedule, with all Democratic‑governed states refusing to follow the federal list while only four Republican‑led states do so, creating a partisan split in vaccine policy [2].

Jan 26 2026 – The American Academy of Pediatrics publishes a new 2026 immunization schedule that retains routine shots for 18 diseases, adds an RSV vaccine, and explicitly rejects the CDC’s narrowed guidance; AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine declares, “For more than 60 years, millions of children and American communities have benefited from routine childhood vaccinations” [13][15].

2027 (planned) – CMS announces it will add new vaccine‑related quality measures and explore reporting on informed consent, safety, and scheduling in the 2027 Core Sets, indicating ongoing federal attention to vaccine policy metrics [8].

Future (2026‑2027) – Several states announce they will craft or maintain their own school‑entry vaccine requirements to preserve protections that the federal schedule has demoted, suggesting a patchwork of state‑level safeguards may develop [11].

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