Major Changes To Childhood Vaccine Schedule Announced By CDC: What To Know In MA

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took the unprecedented step Monday of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child, adopting a policy that gives Massachusetts parents choice but very little guidance.

Officials said the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule won't result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines, but medical experts slammed the move, saying it could lead to reduced uptake of important vaccinations and increase disease.

See also: MA Reports 1st Flu-Related Child Death Of Season

Massachusetts requires the following:

Child care and preschool students age 2 or older:

• One to four doses of Hib
• Four doses of DTaP
• Three doses of polio
• Three doses of hepatitis B
• One dose of MMR on or after the first birthday, laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable
• One dose of varicella on or after the first birthday, a reliable history of chickenpox or laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable

See also: MA Flu Levels 'Very High' With 13 Deaths In 2 Weeks

Kindergarten through sixth grade:

• Five doses of DTaP/Tdap, four doses acceptable if the fourth dose is given after the fourth birthday
• Four doses of polio, fourth dose must be given on or after the fourth birthday and six or more months after the previous dose or a fifth dose is required, three doses are acceptable if the third dose is given on or after the fourth birthday and six or more months after the previous dose
• Three doses of hepatitis B, laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable
• Two doses of MMR, first dose must be given on or after the first birthday and second dose must be given 28 days or more after first dose, laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable
• Two doses of varicella, first dose must be given on or after the first birthday and second dose must be given 28 days or more after first dose, a reliable history of chickenpox or laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable

See also: Highly Contagious Norovirus Spreading Rapidly In MA: What To Know

Grades seven through 12:

• One dose or Tdap and history of DTaP primary series or age-appropriate catch-up vaccination, Tdap given at 7 or more years may be counted, but a dose at age 11 to 12 is recommended if Tdap was given earlier as part of a catch-up schedule, Td or Tdap should be given if it has been 10 or more years since last Tdap
• Four doses of polio, fourth dose must be given on or after the fourth birthday and six months or more after the previous dose or a fifth dose is required, three doses are acceptable if the third dose is given on or after the fourth birthday and six or more months after the previous dose
• Three doses of Hepatitis B, laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable, two doses of Heplisav-B given on or after 18 years of age are acceptable
• Two doses of MMR, first dose must be given on or after the first birthday and second dose must be given 28 days or more after first dose, laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable
• Two doses of varicella, first dose must be given on or after the first birthday and second dose must be given 28 days or more after first dose, a reliable history of chickenpox or laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable
• Meningococcal (grade seven through 10) one dose, this dose must be given on or after the 10th birthday. Meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenACWY (formerly MCV4) and MenABCWY, fulfill this requirement, monovalent meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine is not required and does not meet this requirement
• Meningococcal (grades 11 and 12): Two doses, second dose MenACWY (formerly MCV4) must be given on or after the 16th birthday and eight or more weeks after the previous dose, one dose is acceptable if it was given on or after the 16th birthday. Meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenACWY (MCV4) and MenABCWY, fulfill this requirement, monovalent meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine is not required and does not meet this requirement

See also: Nationwide Baby Formula Botulism Outbreak Spreads To Massachusetts

College — requirements apply to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students under 30 years of age and all full- and part-time health science students. Meningococcal requirements apply to the group specified below:

• One dose of Tdap, and history of a DTaP primary series or age-appropriate catch-up vaccination, Tdap given at seven or more years may be counted, but a dose at age 11 or 12 is recommended if Tdap was given earlier as part of a catch-up schedule, Td or Tdap should be given if it has been 10 or more years since Tdap
• Three doses of hepatitis B, laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable, two doses of Heplisav-B given on or after 18 years of age are acceptable
• Two doses of MMR, first dose must be given on or after the first birthday and second dose must be given 28 days or more after first dose, laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable, birth in the U.S. before 1957 acceptable only for non-health science students
• Two doses of varicela, first dose must be given on or after the first birthday and second dose must be given 28 days or more after the first dose a reliable history of chickenpox or laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable, birth in the U.S. before 1980 acceptable only for non-health science students
• One dose of meningococcal, 1 dose MenACWY (formerly MCV4) required for all full-time students 21 years of age or younger, the dose of MenACWY vaccine must have been received on or after the student’s 16th birthday, doses received at younger ages do not count towards this requirement. Meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenACWY (MCV4) and MenABCWY, fulfill this requirement, monovalent meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine is not required and does not meet this requirement. Students may decline MenACWY vaccine after they have read and signed the MDPH Meningococcal Information andWaiver Form provided by their institution

See also: MA Flu Cases Rising As New Variant Spreads

The vaccine schedule is similar to Denmark’s and recommends children get vaccines for 11 diseases, compared with the 18 the CDC previously recommended. The changes are effective immediately.

The change, which officials acknowledged was made without input from an advisory committee that typically consults on the vaccine schedule, came after President Donald Trump in December asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising its guidance to align with theirs.

HHS said its comparison to 20 peer nations found that the U.S. was an "outlier" in both the number of vaccinations and the number of doses it recommended to all children. Officials with the agency framed the change as a way to increase public trust by recommending only the most important vaccinations for children to receive.

“This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement Monday.

Medical experts disagreed, saying the change without public discussion or a transparent review of the data would put children at risk.

“Abandoning recommendations for vaccines that prevent influenza, hepatitis and rotavirus, and changing the recommendation for HPV without a public process to weigh the risks and benefits, will lead to more hospitalizations and preventable deaths among American children,” said Michael Osterholm of the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.