CDC Announces Major Changes to U.S. Childhood Vaccine Schedule: What Nurses Need to Know
- The CDC has announced changes to the routine recommended schedule of childhood vaccines following an assessment of safety, efficacy, and comparison to other peer nations.
- The new recommended schedule drops the recommended number of vaccines from 17 to 11 and no longer recommends the meningitis, rotavirus, or annual influenza vaccine as routine, instead encouraging the vaccines only be given as part of "shared decision making" with providers and caregivers.
- Despite the changes, all previously recommended vaccines will continue to be available and covered by insurance.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced a major overhaul of the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule.
As of January 5, 2026, the number of routine childhood immunizations has been reduced from 17 to 11. The new recommendations follow the Danish schedule for childhood immunizations, with the addition of the varicella vaccine.
Many core childhood vaccines remain on the recommended schedule, but others, including influenza and even meningitis, have been taken off the routine list and instead, moved to a case-by-case consideration.
What Prompted the Change?
In December 2025, the CDC launched an official assessment of the current U.S. childhood immunization schedule with the intent of deciding if any of the recommendations should be changed.
On January 5, 2026, the investigation committee, which consisted of Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, Director of the National Institutes of Health; Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Marty Makary, MD, MPH, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, released its official recommendation: adopt a new childhood vaccine schedule.
The report reads:
"After a careful review of the current U.S. childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, peer nations' schedules and best practices, and the underlying evidence and data, TAB 1 recommends adopting a revised childhood and adolescent immunization schedule that is based on those vaccines for which there is broad-based international consensus."
New Childhood Vaccine Schedule: What's Staying, What's Changing
Most of the core childhood vaccines remain in the routine schedule, including those for:
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Polio
- Pertussis
- Tetanus
- Diphtheria
- Hib
- Pneumococcal disease
- Chickenpox
- HPV (although HPV is now a single dose)
The big changes come to three main childhood vaccines that will no longer be considered routine and are recommended to be given only on a case-by-case or personal basis for high-risk children:
- Influenza
- Rotavirus
- Meningitis
The recommendations also propose that the following vaccines only be given with "shared decision-making" for high-risk children:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- COVID-19
“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a press release. “After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”
What the New Vaccine Schedule Means for Nurses
The changes to the CDC-recommended vaccine schedule for children could have the following impact on nurses:
Education on vaccine availability for children
A key sentence in the CDC's announcement is that all the vaccines on the previous recommended schedule will still be allowed and covered by insurance companies, so parents who want those vaccines for their children can still access them. (This also applies, as of right now, to the seasonal influenza vaccine, which, while the CDC notes "should not be recommended for all children," should still be available through insurance.)
Understanding the vaccine categories
Because the new schedule groups recommended vaccines into specific risk categories, nurses will need to understand the new categories and assess children appropriately based on risk factors and diagnoses.
The three categories are:
- Vaccines that should be population-based
- Vaccines given for risk-based reasons, such as for immunocompromised children or those with chronic conditions
- Vaccines to be given under "shared clinical decision-making."
Education
Parent and caregiver education will also be critical. Nurses can expect to address questions about vaccines, discuss vaccine hesitancy, and provide information about the new schedule. Empathy, evidence-based information, and patience will be essential.
Reactions to the New Schedule
As nurses and other healthcare practitioners react to the news of the revised schedule, many professional healthcare leaders and organizations are expressing concern over the changes. For instance, Dr. Robert Hopkins, Medical Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), points out that changing a U.S. vaccine schedule to reflect another country, such as Denmark's, ignores "fundamental differences" in country population size, diversity, healthcare access, and infectious disease risk.
"These differences matter," Dr. Hopkins states. "U.S. immunization policies must be guided by a transparent, evidence-based process and grounded in U.S. epidemiology and real-world risk. As we are already seeing signs of a severe respiratory season, this is not the right time to make changes that are not supported by clear evidence."
Dr. Hopkins adds that in 2024 alone, 280 U.S. children died from influenza, the highest toll in more than a decade, and in 2025, the flu has surged, claiming the lives of children and teens alike. The NFID continues to strongly recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone age 6 months and older.
Other medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), have also expressed concern over the changes. AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine called the decision to change the immunization schedule "dangerous" and "unnecessary."
The AAP also shared Washington Post findings that revealed that rates of vaccination among U.S. kindergarteners have fallen significantly since the pandemic, noting that the changes to the vaccine schedule will only contribute to leaving vulnerable children at risk for preventable diseases and related complications.
The vaccine changes follow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recent decision to remove infant Hepatitis B as a routinely recommended vaccine. The move also prompted concern from healthcare organizations, which the HHS dismissed as "media hysteria."
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