In a world where information is everywhere, it has become harder — not easier — to make fact-based decisions. Few topics illustrate this better than vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent changes to national childhood vaccine recommendations have sparked concern among healthcare providers and confusion among parents.
Amid the turmoil, it’s easy to lose sight of a basic truth: vaccines are one of medicine’s greatest successes, and families are best served by guidance from healthcare providers focused on prevention.
In January 2026, following a brief review of how other countries administer vaccinations, federal officials stopped recommending several childhood vaccines, including for hepatitis A and B, COVID-19, rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and RSV. These vaccines are now recommended only for high-risk individuals or through shared clinical decision-making.
