MDH rejects new CDC childhood vaccine schedule
The Minnesota Department of Health says it will not adopt the CDC’s newly revised childhood immunization schedule issued Jan. 5, 2026, instead aligning state guidance with the evidence‑based schedules of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Commissioner Dr. Brooke Cunningham said the CDC’s move to drop several vaccines from its universal recommendations “does not reflect the best available science,” and Minnesota will maintain broader recommendations and access consistent with an executive order from Gov. Tim Walz, while Wisconsin announced it will likewise ignore the federal change for its school and child‑care recommendations.
📌 Key Facts
- On Jan. 5, 2026 the CDC reduced its universal childhood recommendations from 17 vaccines to 10 diseases plus varicella, moving shots such as hepatitis A and B, meningitis, rotavirus and seasonal flu into high‑risk or shared‑decision categories.
- MDH announced it will instead follow immunization schedules from the AAP, AAFP and ACOG and is updating its website and materials accordingly.
- Wisconsin’s health department also said it will not change school or child‑care vaccine recommendations, criticizing CDC for providing no new safety or effectiveness data to support the federal revisions.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2020, rates of hepatitis A ranged from a low of 0.4 cases per 100,000 population among Asian/Pacific Islander persons to a high of 3.9 cases per 100,000 among American Indian/Alaska Native persons, with rates of 1.3 for Hispanics, 1.0 for Blacks, and 0.8 for Whites.
During 2023, rates of reported cases of hepatitis A were highest among persons aged 30–39 years, males, Hispanic persons, and persons living in urban areas.
Table 1.2 – Hepatitis A: Cases & Rates by Demographics - CDC — CDC
Asian Americans account for 58% of Americans living with chronic hepatitis B but comprise only 6% of the total U.S. population.
Priority Populations — HHS.gov
In 2023, the rate of reported acute hepatitis B cases was highest among non-Hispanic Black persons at 1.1 cases per 100,000 population.
Inequities likely contributed to observed differences in bacterial meningitis incidence across racial and ethnic populations in the United States from 2010 to 2020.
The epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in the United States during 2010–2020: a population-based surveillance study — The Lancet
Persistent disparities in MenACWY coverage and disease burden among US adolescents by race and socioeconomic status highlight the need for targeted interventions.
Age-adjusted influenza-associated hospitalization rates were nearly 80% higher among Black adults, 30% higher among American Indian/Alaska Native adults, and 20% higher among Hispanic adults compared to White adults between 2009–10 through 2021–22 influenza seasons.
CDC report highlights flu inequities — AHA News
Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) communities bear a disproportional burden of seasonal influenza hospitalizations in the United States.
Closing the Gap in Race-based Inequities for Seasonal Influenza Vaccination — Oxford Academic
The CDC updated the childhood immunization schedule in response to a presidential memorandum instructing updates if superior approaches exist abroad while preserving access to vaccines.
CDC Acts on Presidential Memorandum to Update Childhood Immunization Schedule — CDC
The updated CDC schedule contrasts with the previous 2024 schedule by recommending 11 immunizations universally instead of 17, moving vaccines like hepatitis A and B, meningitis, rotavirus, and seasonal flu to high-risk or shared decision-making categories, while the AAP continues to recommend the full previous schedule.
Fact Sheet: CDC Childhood Immunization Recommendations — HHS.gov
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