Pediatricians and Health Departments Sidestep Trump’s CDC on Vaccine Guidance

KFF Health News reports that pediatricians are losing confidence in the CDC's vaccine guidance. The agency replaced its entire vaccine advisory board with new appointees, some of them vaccine skeptics, then removed several vaccines from the recommended child immunization schedule, including COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots. A federal court ordered the agency to restore its previous recommendations, but the Trump administration is appealing that decision. The ongoing uncertainty is putting doctors in a difficult position. Many are now turning to independent information sources and launching their own vaccine education campaigns rather than relying on federal guidance. In Massachusetts, pediatricians and health departments created Valley Vax, directing families to advice from local physicians and professional medical organizations. Similar efforts have emerged nationwide—California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington formed a regional health alliance, while governors from fourteen states and Guam established their own public health coalition to provide evidence-based information independent of federal authorities.

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