The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday announced dramatic changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule that recommend fewer shots for most American children, resembling more closely what’s practiced in other developed nations such as Denmark.
According to the latest CDC guidelines, the number of diseases prevented by routine vaccines will be reduced to 11 from 17.
Federal health officials said at a news conference that Jim O’Neill, acting director of the CDC, has revised the agency’s immunization schedule to incorporate the changes, effective immediately.
Per the guidelines, the CDC will continue to recommend the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and immunizations against viruses such as polio, chickenpox, HPV, and others. However, other vaccinations, such as those for flu, COVID-19, and rotavirus, will be based on “shared clinical decision-making,” while some other shots will be recommended only for “high-risk groups.”
Leading vaccine makers: GSK (GSK), Sanofi (SNY), Pfizer (PFE), Moderna (MRNA), BioNTech (BNTX), Novavax (NVAX), Merck (MRK)