America's Pediatricians Just Broke with the CDC on Vaccines—Here's What That Means for Your Kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is now recommending a different childhood vaccine schedule than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the first time in three decades, after the federal agency reduced its recommended vaccines from 18 to 11 diseases. This historic split means parents now face conflicting guidance about which shots their children should receive.

What Changed in the Federal Vaccine Recommendations?

On January 5, the CDC made significant changes to its childhood vaccine schedule under the Trump administration's Department of Health and Human Services, citing "a need for more and better science" on vaccines. However, the agency hasn't provided specifics on what kind of science is needed.

The differences between the two organizations center on seven vaccines. While both groups still recommend core vaccines like measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and polio, they now disagree on others:

• COVID-19 vaccines: The CDC no longer routinely recommends these for children, while the AAP continues to endorse them
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) shots: Now only recommended by the AAP for routine childhood protection
• Influenza vaccines: The CDC moved these to "shared decision-making" conversations rather than routine recommendations
• Rotavirus protection: Still recommended by pediatricians but not routinely by the CDC
• Meningitis vaccines: The AAP maintains routine recommendations while the CDC does not
• Hepatitis A and B shots: Pediatricians continue recommending these as routine childhood vaccines

How Are States and Medical Groups Responding?

The pediatricians' decision has gained widespread support across the medical community. At least 28 state health departments have said they won't follow the new CDC childhood vaccine recommendations, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group. Major medical organizations have also endorsed the AAP guidance, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Medical Association.

"There is strong alignment there," said Dr. Kristina Bryant, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at Norton Children's in Louisville, Kentucky. "State health departments and health coalitions have also recommended following the American Academy of Pediatric immunization schedule because it has been rigorously studied and it works to keep children and communities healthy."

What Does This Mean for Parents?

The AAP, which represents 67,000 pediatricians nationwide, emphasizes that their recommendations haven't actually changed—they're the same vaccines they've endorsed for years. "This is the exact same recommendation that we've had along, the same recommendations the federal government used to agree with," said Dr. Andrew Racine, the AAP's president.

Parents are already asking more questions about vaccines in pediatric offices. Dr. Ana Montanez, who practices at Texas Tech Physicians in Lubbock, notes that families "came to me for clarity before these changes were made, and now that changes are made, it's even more important." The CDC's new approach emphasizes "shared decision-making" conversations between doctors and families, though pediatricians point out they've been having these discussions for years.

"We are well used to talking to families about vaccines. That's something that we've been doing for a long time," said Dr. Deanna Behrens, a pediatrician in suburban Chicago and Illinois AAP member. "Trusting your pediatrician is critical." Parents seeking more information about the AAP's vaccine guidance can visit healthychildren.org.