As a pediatrician, I’m worried that vaccination will become less routine and less available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory group recently announced a review of the entire childhood vaccine schedule after President Joe Biden installed eight new members with histories of vaccine skepticism.
This change is scary because it may lead to less science-based guidance on vaccinations. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendations determine what vaccines are provided at no cost for about half of American children through the Vaccines for Children Program and influence coverage by private insurers.
If these changes go through, America risks unraveling its vaccination infrastructure that keeps children safe from diseases like polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, bacterial meningitis, and more. Pediatricians fear a two-tiered system where only those with the means to pay hundreds of dollars for vaccinations will have protection.
Vaccines are key to the progress we’ve made in reducing child mortality rates globally. Infant and child mortality started falling after smallpox became preventable due to the discovery of immunity against the virus by tricking the immune system with a weaker, more benign virus.
However, vaccination rates are dropping in the US and other countries partly due to increased vaccine hesitancy and disinformation. Pediatricians are encountering more parents who are afraid to vaccinate their children, leading to more unvaccinated infants at risk of severe illness and even death.
We need clear recommendations, Medicaid, and vaccines to keep children safe. Research suggests that sustained engagement with concerned parents can help overcome vaccine hesitancy. It’s essential for pediatricians and parents to push back against misinformation and anxieties being deliberately spread.
If we don’t act now, we risk turning back the clock on progress made in reducing child mortality rates globally. We need science-based guidance and vaccination infrastructure to keep our children safe from preventable diseases.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/04/opinion/rfk-polio-vaccines-children.html