Wisconsin Rejects CDC Vaccine Changes, Recommends Guidance From Pediatrics Group

By Erik Gunn, Wisconsin Examiner

January 8, 2026

State health officials won’t change their recommendations for childhood vaccines, endorsing the guidance of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced Thursday.

The announcement comes three days after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday scaled back its list of recommended childhood vaccines, cutting its list of diseases for which childhood vaccines were recommended to 11 from 17.

The change has alarmed public health organizations and providers across the country.

“No new clinical data on either safety or effectiveness were presented that would justify these changes,” wrote Dr. Ryan Westergaard, the DHS chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for communicable disease, in a memo sent Thursday to providers and organizations that offer vaccination services in Wisconsin.

Ryan Westergaard, M.D., Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services

“The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) stands by our current clinical guidance regarding vaccines in Wisconsin, and will not be making any changes to Wisconsin’s school or child care recommendations,” Westergaard wrote.

“We have not seen any new scientific evidence that would justify changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, which is widely understood to have prevented millions of infections and continues to protect the health of children in the United States,” Westergaard said Thursday.

The department is following the childhood vaccine recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Wisconsin providers should continue to follow evidence-based vaccine recommendations from AAP and other professional medical organizations, and parents should talk to trusted health care providers about timely vaccination,” said Dr. Stephanie Schauer, the DHS immunization program manager. “This is our best way to prevent the spread of diseases that can cause life-long health impacts for children, families, and entire communities.”

The CDC’s decision followed a directive in December from President Donald Trump to look to other developed countries, including Denmark, in revising its vaccine schedule. Federal officials said the change was based on that review and called the U.S. a “global outlier” for the number of diseases and vaccine doses in its recommendations.

“The CDC’s new recommendations were based on a brief review of other countries’ practices and not based on data or evidence regarding disease risks to children in the United States,” DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson said Thursday. “This upends our longstanding, evidence-based approach of protecting our children from the viruses that pose a risk in our country.”

She said the CDC change ignored other factors.

“Copying another country’s schedule without its health and social infrastructure will not produce the same health outcomes,” Johnson said. “It creates chaos and confusion and risks the health of Wisconsin’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens.”

DHS administers Wisconsin’s Medicaid programs and said the health insurance program for people with low incomes will cover all the recommended vaccines, including for newborns. They will also remain covered under the Vaccines for Children program.

The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance issued a reminder Thursday that state law requires individual, small group and self-funded health plans to cover immunizations for patients and their dependents from birth without a copayment.

• To check on a child’s vaccine status and recommended vaccines see the Wisconsin Immunization Registry.
• For clinicians, refer to the DHS Recommended Vaccination Schedule for Wisconsinites.

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