HHS Narrows Childhood Vaccine Recommendations, Drawing Concern from Health Experts

The Department of Health and Human Services is recommending fewer vaccines for most American children, a move that has drawn concern from some health experts.

Several core immunizations remain on the recommended schedule, including vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), as well as polio, chickenpox, and HPV. But the agency is narrowing its guidance on other shots.

Hepatitis A and B vaccines are now recommended only for children considered broadly at higher risk for infection, rather than for all children. For flu, COVID-19, and rotavirus vaccines, HHS says parents should make decisions in consultation with a health care provider rather than following a blanket recommendation.

Some medical experts have raised concerns that scaling back vaccination guidance could lead to an increase in preventable infections among children.