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An comprehensive revision of US childhood vaccination guidelines has led to a reduction in the quantity of routinely advised immunizations from 17 to 11.

The newly issued list from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention retains core vaccines for diseases like polio and measles. However, several others, including hepatitis A and B and Covid vaccines, are now classified based on personal risk and dependent on "shared medical deliberation" involving physicians and parents.

"This new recommendation is dangerous and unnecessary," criticized the American Academy of Pediatrics, labeling the change.

This sweeping guideline change constitutes the most recent significant action implemented under the present government by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Official Justification and Global Alignment

Kennedy claimed the revision followed "after an thorough analysis" and "protects children, respects parents, and restores trust in the health system."

"This aligning the American pediatric immunization schedule with international consensus while enhancing transparency and parental choice," he added.

According to the announcement, the updated universal schedule for every minors will include immunizations for:

• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
• Polio
• Pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and diphtheria (DTaP/Tdap)
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Pneumococcal disease
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Varicella (chickenpox)

3 Categories of Guidance

The revised framework creates 3 separate tiers of immunization advice:

1. Universal Vaccines: The 11 shots mentioned above are recommended for all youngsters.
2. Risk-Based Recommendations: This category includes vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue, and meningococcal types (ACWY and B). These are suggested based on a child's individual risk factors.
3. Optional Group: Immunizations for the coronavirus, influenza, and rotavirus are now left to case-by-case consultation and choice by parents and their physicians.

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

Global Context and Recent Controversy

The CDC performed a comparison of current pediatric schedules with those of twenty other developed nations. It determined the United States was "an international exception" in both the quantity of diseases covered and the number of shots required, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

This recent change comes weeks after a separate advisory committee adjusted the schedule for the initial hepatitis B vaccine. Formerly, a first shot was recommended for newborns within 24 hours of delivery. Updated guidelines last December shifted that to 60 days after birth if the mother tested negative for hepatitis B.

That earlier recommendation was widely condemned by paediatricians, with the AAP calling it "a risky move that will hurt children."