Some Iowa doctors said they’re concerned about how sweeping changes to the federal childhood vaccine schedule could affect Iowa’s vaccination rates.
This week, federal officials announced they’re dropping the number of broadly recommended vaccines down from 17 to 11.
Starting immediately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer recommend vaccinations for the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease and RSV for children except for those who are at high risk of getting sick or if the child’s physician determines with the family that it’s needed.
The unprecedented change comes after President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last month to review vaccine guidelines as compared to peer nations and to adjust its recommendations accordingly.
“After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families and rebuilds trust in public health.” Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.
But Nathan Boonstra, a general pediatrician in Des Moines and the chair of Iowa Immunizes, a nonprofit focused on increasing vaccination rates, said he felt the change was made without the usual transparency and scientific evidence.
“Normally, it would go through a process that would include the advisory committee to the CDC, and there'd be a lot of science presented. There would be reasons for these decisions that are science-based,” he said.
The CDC’s recommendations often influence which vaccines states like Iowa require for children to attend school.
Some doctors are starting to turn to vaccine recommendations from other organizations, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, which used to mostly align with the CDC's recommendations before the change. The conflicting advice could confuse patients, Boonstra said.
“It's just unfortunate that now families are going to get mixed messages, and that adds to confusion, adds to the hesitancy and is only going to add to the declining vaccination rates that we have been seeing,” he said.
Jason Wilbur, a family medicine doctor in Iowa City and the president of the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians, said the change could signal these vaccines aren't necessary to keep children healthy.
"The misconception that might be out there is that the vaccines that are no longer recommended are for diseases that really aren't important," he said. "But I take care of people all the time in the hospital with influenza and kids with RSV. You know, meningitis is incredibly deadly, so even though rare, you sure don't want it to happen to your kid."
It's important now that Iowans consult their physicians to make sure their children are getting all their necessary shots, he said.
"The best advice I can give people on this is to talk to your family physician or pediatrician about what they know and what they recommend, and hopefully you have a trusted source for that," he said.
