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An comprehensive revision of US childhood immunisation guidelines has resulted in a reduction in the quantity of routinely recommended vaccines from 17 to 11.

The newly issued schedule from the CDC retains core shots for illnesses like polio and measles. However, several others, such as hepatitis A and B and Covid vaccines, are now categorized based on individual risk and subject to "joint medical decision-making" involving physicians and guardians.

"This new recommendation is risky and unnecessary," stated the American Academy of Pediatrics, describing the change.

This sweeping policy shift represents the latest major move implemented under the current government by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Official Rationale and International Comparison

Kennedy claimed the overhaul came "after an exhaustive analysis" and "safeguards children, honors parents, and restores confidence in the health system."

"We are bringing the American pediatric vaccine calendar with international consensus while enhancing transparency and parental choice," he continued.

According to the announcement, the updated core recommendation for every minors will cover immunizations for:

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

3 Tiers of Recommendations

The revised framework creates 3 separate tiers of vaccine advice:

1. Core Vaccines: The eleven shots mentioned above are advised for all youngsters.
2. Risk-Based Vaccines: This category contains shots for RSV, Hep A, hepatitis B, dengue, and meningitis strains (ACWY and B). These are recommended based on a patient's individual risk factors.
3. Optional Group: Vaccinations for Covid-19, influenza, and a stomach virus are now left to case-by-case discussion and decision by parents and their physicians.

For the time being, medical insurance will continue to pay for immunizations that are still on the schedule until the close of 2025.

International Context and Prior Controversy

The CDC performed a comparison of existing pediatric recommendations with those of 20 other developed countries. It found the United States was "an international exception" in both the number of illnesses covered and the amount of shots required, the HHS reported.

This recent change comes weeks after a different CDC committee adjusted the schedule for the initial liver infection shot. Formerly, a first dose was advised for newborns within a day of delivery. Revised guidelines last winter moved that to two months post birth if the mother tested negative for the virus.

That prior recommendation was widely criticised by paediatricians, with the American Academy of Pediatrics describing it "a dangerous move that will harm children."