Press Release  Governor Healey Condemns CDC Rollback of Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

Boston — Today, Governor Maura Healey condemned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s decision to significantly reduce the number of recommended routine childhood vaccines. Governor Healey and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health are making clear that despite these misguided federal decisions, Massachusetts will continue to recommend and provide easy access to all the vaccines that for decades have enabled families to protect their children from preventable diseases.  

“President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are yet again putting the health and wellbeing of our children at risk. They’re abandoning longstanding vaccine recommendations that have been proven to safely and effectively protect our children from diseases,” said Governor Maura Healey. “In Massachusetts, our vaccine recommendations continue to be rooted in science and evidence. We are making sure all Massachusetts families can get the vaccines they need to keep their children healthy.” 

“The decision to change CDC’s childhood immunization schedule is reckless and deeply dangerous. It abandons decades of rigorous, evidence-based science and replaces clear public health guidance with confusion and doubt,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “At a moment when we are seeing measles outbreaks, the resurgence of whooping cough, and a flu season that has already taken the lives of children in our state, this ill-advised federal action puts families in an impossible position and puts infants, children, and communities at risk. Families count on public health leaders to help protect their children, and we in Massachusetts will not back away from that responsibility.” 

For decades, CDC’s childhood immunization schedule has recommended 17 routine childhood vaccines based on science, data, specific disease risks, population needs, and public health realities of the United States.  

Under the new CDC guidance, vaccines that are no longer routinely recommended include those for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, influenza, COVID-19, and meningococcal disease. These vaccines could be administered based on “shared clinical decision-making” between families and health care providers. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also is no longer routinely recommended except for certain known high-risk groups.  

Governor Healey has taken several steps in recent months to ensure that vaccines remain available in Massachusetts. Last year, she signed legislation granting the state Department of Public Health (DPH) authority to set independent standards for vaccine recommendations rather than rely on the federal government’s recommendations. Now, DPH can set immunization schedules and requirements in Massachusetts, including for the Childhood Vaccine Program.  Massachusetts is also a member of a bipartisan coalition of state and city health departments to coordinate on vaccine recommendations.   

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