1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the CDC's recent reduction of routinely recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. This unprecedented change, made without formal public comment or input from vaccine makers, circumvents the established process where the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and other stakeholders evaluate the benefits and risks of schedule modifications. The December 5 presidential memorandum directed HHS and the CDC to compare the U.S. vaccine schedule with peer countries, and on the same day, vaccine advisers voted to drop the recommendation that all newborns receive hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Advisers heard presentations from a trial attorney specializing in vaccine lawsuits and an FDA official on Denmark's schedule, rather than from the broad range of pediatric infectious disease experts who typically inform these critical decisions. Vaccines for rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis, and seasonal flu are now restricted to high-risk children or those whose parents pursue shared decision-making with providers. This shift places the burden on individual families to navigate complex medical decisions rather than following evidence-based public health guidance that protects entire communities through herd immunity. Dr. Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist and director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, stated that eliminating vital childhood vaccine recommendations without public discussion or transparent data review is a radical and dangerous decision that will sow doubt among parents and put children's lives at risk. HHS officials cited declining measles vaccination rates as evidence of declining public trust, claiming these changes will increase confidence. This reasoning is backwards. Undermining the scientific process and removing protections will only deepen confusion and distrust. I urge you to publicly oppose these changes and demand that any modifications to the childhood vaccine schedule follow the established transparent review process with full stakeholder input. Our children's health depends on evidence-based policy, not political directives.