Federal Judge Pauses Kennedy's Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule

Key TakeawaysA judge stopped RFK Jr.'s major changes to the childhood vaccine scheduleThe plan would have cut number of diseases covered by recommended vaccines from 18 to 11Experts say the changes could harm public health.TUESDAY, March 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A federal judge has stopped a major effort to change the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule.The ruling, issued Monday in Massachusetts, blocks U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to revise vaccine recommendations for children.The decision stems from a lawsuit brought by several medical groups against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The lawsuit was organized by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other organizations. They argued that Kennedy’s changes to vaccine guidance and a vaccine advisory group violated federal law.Earlier this year, Kennedy and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) overhauled the childhood vaccine schedule. The update decreased the number of diseases for which routine childhood vaccines are recommended from 18 to 11.Under the revamped schedule, vaccines for several illnesses were no longer recommended for all children. These included hepatitis A, hepatitis B, RSV, dengue and two forms of bacterial meningitis.Many doctors and public health experts strongly opposed the change.More than 200 organizations, including the American Medical Association, the March of Dimes and the Autism Science Foundation, said they would ignore the new federal schedule.Instead, they said they would continue following the AAP’s recommended vaccine schedule.The judge’s decision also paused changes that Kennedy made to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).This panel plays a major role in shaping U.S. vaccine policy. Its recommendations influence both the childhood vaccine schedule and which vaccines insurance companies must cover.In June, Kennedy removed all 17 members of the panel and replaced them with new appointees, many of whom are vaccine critics.The committee had planned to meet this week. The judge’s ruling effectively cancels that meeting.The ruling also freezes votes taken by the new committee members, including one to no longer recommend the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns.Critics of the Kennedy-led changes hailed the decision.“Today is a day to celebrate the triumph of science over misinformation,” Dr. Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, told NBC News. “This is a huge blow to Kennedy’s vaccine policies.”AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine said the ruling “re-established a degree of clarity” about childhood vaccinations.“If anyone has any questions about what’s the appropriate vaccine schedule for their children, the best thing to do is to talk to their pediatricians,” he said.HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the government “looks forward to this judge’s decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing.”Richard Hughes, attorney for the AAP, suggested the case could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.Since taking office, Kennedy, a long-time vaccine critic, has endorsed several changes to federal vaccine policy. These include stricter rules for vaccine testing and limits on who can receive certain COVID-19 vaccines, especially those using mRNA technology.Others say those policies have created confusion and weakened public trust in vaccines.A recent survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found trust in public health agencies has declined during President Donald Trump’s second term.More informationThe American Academy of Pediatrics has a childhood immunization schedule.SOURCE: NBC News, March 16, 2026.What This Means For YouFor now, the recommended childhood vaccine schedule used by pediatricians remains the same..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Federal Judge Pauses Kennedy's Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule

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