Minnesota rejects CDC’s scaled‑back 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, which removed or softened several routine vaccine recommendations, and will instead continue to follow the more extensive schedules from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Health Commissioner Brooke Cunningham is quoted saying the CDC’s changes “do not reflect the best available science,” and MDH points to a Walz executive order directing the state to maintain broad access to recommended vaccines. Because state schedules, not the CDC’s website copy, drive what Minnesota pediatricians and school systems use, Twin Cities families will still see the longstanding shot list for daycare and school entry unless and until MDH changes course. The article also notes Wisconsin is taking a similar position, underscoring that the CDC’s move is not being accepted as gospel in this region and that the federal guidance fight is as much political as scientific.
📌 Key Facts
- MDH formally rejected the CDC’s Jan. 5, 2026 childhood immunization schedule update and will not narrow its recommendations.
- Commissioner Brooke Cunningham says Minnesota will instead align with AAP, AAFP and ACOG schedules, backed by an executive order from Gov. Walz.
- Wisconsin has likewise said it will ignore the new CDC childhood schedule for state school and child‑care recommendations.
📊 Relevant Data
The CDC's January 5, 2026, childhood immunization schedule update removes universal recommendations for vaccines against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and meningococcal disease.
The CDC Just Sidelined These Childhood Vaccines. Here's ... — NPR
The CDC's update to the childhood immunization schedule was in response to a presidential memorandum directing the agency to revise the recommendations.
CDC Acts on Presidential Memorandum to Update Childhood ... — HHS
In 2020, rates of acute hepatitis A were highest among American Indian/Alaska Native persons at 3.9 cases per 100,000 population, compared to 0.4 cases per 100,000 among Asian/Pacific Islander persons.
The rate of off-season RSV episodes was significantly higher among Black individuals at 22.1% compared to 15.3% for in-season episodes, indicating racial disparities in RSV incidence.
Off-Season RSV Episodes in Adults and Children Linked to Racial ... — Pulmonology Advisor
Persistent racial and ethnic disparities exist in meningococcal vaccination coverage and disease burden among US adolescents, with lower coverage among certain racial and socioeconomic groups.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Meningococcal Vaccination ... — PubMed
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time