Controversy
Status:Open
Will Secretary Kennedy's U.S. Childhood Vaccine Schedule Overhaul Risk Public Health?
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Claims
Marty Makary"This [2026] decision recommits HHS to all three [transparency, rigorous science, and respect for families]."Jan 05, 2026
Mehmet Oz"No family will lose access.This [2026] framework empowers parents and physicians to make individualized decisions based on risk, while maintaining strong protection against serious disease."Jan 05, 2026
Robert F. Kennedy Jr."This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health."Jan 05, 2026
Bill Cassidy“Changing the pediatric vaccine schedule based on no scientific input on safety risks and little transparency will cause unnecessary fear for patients and doctors, and will make America sicker.”Jan 06, 2026
Sean O'Leary“I’m not sure why they want to bring the diseases back but that’s their goal.”Jan 05, 2026
WLBT3"If the changes mean fewer children are vaccinated, outbreaks that have historically been prevented by high vaccination rates could spread more widely, leading to more disease and more missed school and work."Jan 06, 2026
Andrew Racine“Today’s announcement by federal health officials to arbitrarily stop recommending numerous routine childhood immunizations is dangerous and unnecessary."Jan 05, 2026
IDSA"[Secretary Kennedy’s] actions put families and communities at risk and will make America sicker."Feb 01, 2026
Jason M. Goldman“Abandoning the U.S. evidence-based process is a dangerous and potentially deadly decision for Americans.”Jan 05, 2026
Jay Bhattacharya"This decision commits NIH, CDC, and FDA to gold standard science, greater transparency, and ongoing reassessment as new data emerge."Jan 05, 2026
Jim O'Neill"The data support a more focused schedule that protects children from the most serious infectious diseases while improving clarity, adherence, and public confidence."Jan 05, 2026
Caitlin Rivers“I think that a reduced schedule is going to endanger children and lay the groundwork for a resurgence in preventable disease.”Jan 06, 2026
UC Berkeley School of Public Health"Departing from that standard risks fundamentally preventable deaths, because we will see outbreaks of infectious diseases that are vaccine-controllable."Jan 16, 2026
West Coast Health Alliance"This decision did not follow established procedure for vaccine policy recommendations and threatens an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases in children nationwide."Feb 01, 2026
Robert Goldstein“The decision to change CDC’s childhood immunization schedule is reckless and deeply dangerous.”Jan 27, 2026
Diana DeGette"Without these vaccines, more children will die from preventable illnesses."Jan 05, 2026
Kevin A. Ault“Given the intensity of the current flu season and this guidance from the political appointees at HHS, it seems likely we will see even more deaths this year.”Jan 05, 2026
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0