New York State officials reject federal vaccine recommendations

State health officials announced Thursday they are rejecting federal recommendations to drop several vaccinations from the childhood immunization schedule, advising doctors to instead follow guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would only recommend certain vaccines, such as those for some forms of meningitis, hepatitis B and RSV, for children in high-risk groups. It was a decision embraced by the vaccine-skeptical community but condemned by many pediatricians and medical associations.

On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced vaccine guidelines that remained unchanged from 2025. It backs routine immunization for 18 diseases, including all of those removed by the CDC, which recommended 11 vaccines.

"Recent changes to the CDC immunization schedule depart from longstanding scientific evidence and are unfounded and unreliable," state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a letter to doctors cosigned by New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse, dated Jan. 28. "By contrast, the AAP childhood and adolescent immunization schedules continue to recommend immunizations based on rigorous research and the specific disease risks and health care delivery context in the U.S."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The CDC guidelines continue to recommend measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and varicella (chickenpox) for all children.

McDonald had previously announced the state would not alter its current school vaccination requirements, regardless of CDC recommendations.

"Most pediatricians will continue to follow guidance based on evidence," said Dr. Asif Noor, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at NYU Langone-Long Island, noting that he and others have seen children get severely ill and die from diseases that can be prevented with vaccines that some believe should not be routine.

"Meningococcal disease vaccine is a serious infection that can be prevented with a simple vaccination," he said.

He said there is also a high chance of infections for numerous diseases to spread quickly in a school if there is a group of children who have not been immunized.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has openly voiced distrust of certain vaccines and has replaced members of federal advisory panels that oversee vaccination recommendations. The CDC's vaccine advisory committee head this month questioned whether mandates are necessary for vaccines that protect against polio and other infectious diseases.

Other groups of medical providers, such as the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Medical Association have also endorsed the AAP guidelines. 

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.