DETROIT – Michigan health officials are raising concerns after the federal government sharply cut the number of vaccines recommended for children in the newly revised immunization schedule.
On Monday, Jan. 5, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill, acting as the Director of the CDC, signed a decision memorandum that adopted a new childhood and adolescent immunization schedule.
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The updated schedule significantly reduces the number of vaccines recommended for children. Vaccines for influenza, hepatitis A and B, COVID-19, and rotavirus are among those no longer recommended.
The changes have been criticized by health officials, including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, who released the following statement:
“For decades, vaccines have played a critical role in the prevention and control of infectious diseases and significant reductions in childhood illnesses and fatalities.”
Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, said the changes announced may create confusion for families and clinicians.
MDHHS recommends that health care providers and families follow the adolescent immunization schedule produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Academy of Family Physicians.
All vaccines remain covered with no out-of-pocket cost by Affordable Care Act-regulated private insurance plans and federal coverage programs such as Medicaid and the Vaccines for Children program.