On Monday, federal health officials rolled back recommendations for some childhood vaccines, including those that protect against influenza, COVID-19 and hepatitis B.
The decision memorandum signed by Jim O’Neill, deputy secretary of Health and Human Services and acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breaks the childhood vaccine recommendations into three groups: recommended for all children, recommended for high-risk groups and “immunizations based on shared clinical decision-making.”
It’s a change that Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, says “will lead to more hospitalizations and preventable deaths among American children.”
“Keep in mind that close to 300 children died from influenza during the 2024-25 season,” Osterholm said in a statement. “This wildly irresponsible decision will sow further doubt and confusion among parents and put children’s lives at risk.”
The vaccinations that the federal government continues to recommend for all children prevent against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV) and varicella (chickenpox).
However, immunizations against the following diseases are now only recommended for high-risk groups or when “physicians and parents … decide based on individual characteristics,” per an HHS fact sheet:
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Dengue
Rotavirus
COVID-19
Influenza
Meningococcal disease
The change responds to a Dec. 5 memorandum from President Donald Trump, instructing HHS Secretary Ronald F. Kennedy, Jr. and O’Neill to “update the United States core childhood vaccine schedule” to resemble other nations’ practices.
The decision memorandum does not change Minnesota law, which requires that children receive certain routine immunizations in order to enroll in school or child care, unless they receive an exemption.
Private and public health insurance will still cover vaccinations in all three categories, federal officials said.
“All vaccines currently recommended by CDC will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a statement. “No family will lose access.”
In a statement, Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham said the federal government’s “unilateral decision” to change its childhood vaccine guidance is “highly concerning.”
“The previous CDC childhood immunization schedule had been supported by decades of rigorous scientific evidence showing it works to protect our young ones from diseases that can make them very sick,” Cunningham said. “The confusion and impacts of this decision will take some time to sort through, but I can say the Minnesota Department of Health unequivocally continues to support immunization as a life-saving public health measure.”
In September 2025, MDH recommended that all Minnesotans age 6 months and older receive the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine, breaking from the guidance issued by the federal government. A few days later, Mayo Clinic offered similar guidance.
“Vaccinations are an important step in preventing and reducing the effects of infectious diseases,” Mayo Clinic said in a statement in response to the CDC change. “Scheduling and maintaining childhood vaccinations helps reduce infections and can save lives. Parents should speak with their child’s care provider to address any questions they have to make informed decisions regarding care.”
In a statement, the Minnesota Medical Association, an organization that represents the state’s physicians and medical students, said it is “deeply concerned” by the CDC’s decision.
“The changes add unnecessary confusion and uncertainty around vaccines that have been shown to be both safe and effective,” the statement reads. “The MMA urges parents and families to talk directly with their physicians about the critical role that childhood vaccines play in preventing serious disease and death, and in protecting the most vulnerable members or our communities.”
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