Virginia health department defies Trump vaccine changes
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The Virginia Department of Health is breaking with the Trump administration's latest vaccine guidance, which narrows the list of universally recommended shots for kids.
Why it matters: It's at least the second time in the past six months that VDH has moved away from controversial federal changes.
State of play: In a letter to clinicians on Thursday, State Health Commissioner Cameron Webb said VDH "strongly recommends" providers follow the American Academy of Pediatrics' immunization schedule instead of the CDC's.
- At least 23 other states and D.C. have announced similar moves.
Catch up quick: Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services updated CDC guidance to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11.
- The changes removed hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, flu, COVID-19 and meningitis from the routine immunization schedule.
- The CDC now says those shots should mainly go to higher-risk children or be decided case by case by parents and their child's doctor.
- The agency also cut the HPV vaccine recommendation from two doses to one.
What they're saying: "This change was made in the absence of new data or safety signals to prompt such an update," Webb, who Gov. Spanberger recently appointed, wrote in the letter.
- Webb said following the AAP's schedule — which still recommends routine vaccination against the above diseases — keeps Virginia's guidance "grounded in science" and focused on "optimally" protecting children.
The other side: HHS officials say the change aligns the U.S. with the schedules of other countries like Japan and Denmark.
Between the lines: It's rare for state health departments and doctors to buck the CDC's guidance, though it's become increasingly more common under this Trump administration.
The bottom line: As vaccine policy becomes more politicized, Virginia health officials are signaling that they're sticking with pediatricians over the federal government.