A top Colorado public health official said she doesn't expect the federal government's change to the recommended childhood vaccine schedule will hurt availability.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, made an unprecedented change Monday, reducing from 17 to 11 the number of vaccines routinely recommended for all children.
Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist, in an interview with CPR, called it significant but hoped access would be maintained despite the upheaval.
“I think this hopefully is reassuring to parents, these changes will not impact insurance coverage or vaccine availability or access through federal programs,” said Herlihy.
Vaccines for things like rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis and seasonal flu, which used to be recommended for all children, are now more restricted under the new schedule, according to NPR. Now, under the RFK-led CDC guidance, they are recommended only for those at high risk or after consulting a health care provider through what’s called "shared decision-making."
The change comes as Colorado faces a record flu season, with nearly 800 people now hospitalized with the virus. Vaccination against the flu was already low. Just 27.5 percent of Colorado residents have gotten a flu shot so far this season; for those 6 months to 9 years, the rate is a bit better (almost 30 percent) and for those 10-19 years old, it’s lower (about 20 percent).
Herlihy said the state board of health last month recommended Colorado continue to align with top medical groups for guidance and keep following the routine schedule.
“That absolutely is not going to change,” she said, “and we continue to look to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).”
“All vaccines currently recommended by CDC will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, in a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. “No family will lose access. This framework empowers parents and physicians to make individualized decisions based on risk, while maintaining strong protection against serious disease.”
Herlihy does worry the federal changes could sow confusion among parents.
Colorado’s approach
Another Coloradan following vaccine moves from the Department of Health and Human Services closely said he hoped the state’s approach would help protect its population from infectious diseases.
“The good news is that Coloradans can have some insulation from this nonsense as we will continue to follow the recommendations of AAP and the other professional societies,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, a national vaccine expert who heads the recently formed Colorado Chooses Vaccines.
O’Leary also worries that the move will add confusion, and social media could fuel misinformation.
Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, another member of the coalition, agrees.
“The biggest immediate issue for Coloradans is the confusion this creates across the vaccination system, particularly for families trying to understand what guidance to follow,” he said.
“Parents can continue to trust their pediatricians,” Higgins said via email.
O’Leary suggests talking with your pediatrician if you have questions, and checking websites like HealthyChildren.org, AAP or Immunize Colorado for fact-based information.
“We are working with our colleagues at the state level to help deal with some of the fallout from the chaos at the federal level, and we are all doing our best to help keep Coloradans healthy,” O’Leary said.
In a press release, RFK said the move was made following a directive from President Donald Trump to review international best practices from peer-developed nations, like Denmark.
“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” RFK said. “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.”
O’Leary said the change will have the opposite effect, leading to fewer recommended vaccines, here more risks to children in this country from vaccine-preventable disease.
“There is no evidence that skipping or delaying certain vaccines would benefit U.S. children, and no scientific reason to believe Denmark’s recommendations are safer. When a child goes without recommended immunizations, they are vulnerable to preventable diseases — some of which can be severe, life-threatening, or have lifelong consequences,” O’Leary said in a statement, noting recent outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, and influenza outbreaks demonstrate the risks.
Here's what federal vaccine recommendations have changed
Once broadly recommended, the federal government now only recommends protection against these diseases for certain children at high risk or based on individual doctor advice in what’s called “shared decision-making.”
- Flu
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Meningococcal disease
- Rotavirus
- RSV
- COVID-19, a change made in 2025
Here’s what federal vaccine recommendations stayed the same
The following vaccines were left on the recommended-for-all list:
- Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
- Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis or whooping cough (DTaP)
- Polio
- Chickenpox
- Human papillomavirus, or HPV. But in a surprise, the guidance reduces the number of recommended vaccine doses against HPV from two or three shots to just one.
- Hib, or Haemophilus influenzae type B, bacteria that, despite the name, isn't related to flu
- PCV or pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Source: Associated Press
