In another dangerous anti-science and anti-public health move, the Trump administration under Health and Humam Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has removed a number of vaccines from the recommended universal childhood vaccine schedule. The vaccines removed from the previous universal schedule include influenza, COVID-19, meningitis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and rotavirus. They are now included in the “shared clinical decision-making” category. This means that children will not routinely receive these vaccines but can receive them depending on various risk factor issues.
During my career in public health, I had the misfortune of investigating a number of serious outbreaks of meningitis and rotavirus, both resulting in deaths of children. I also investigated a number of Hepatitis A and B outbreaks that resulted in many individuals requiring Hepatitis A post-exposure prophylaxis and children becoming chronically infected with Hepatitis B. Fortunately, as a result of routine vaccinations for these diseases as well as for influenza and COVID-19, the number of cases and deaths resulting from these preventable diseases has dropped significantly. A review of the historical data might be useful.
Prior to routine immunization for meningitis in 2005, the U.S. experienced 1,400 to 2,800 cases of invasive meningococcal disease per year with a mortality rate of 10% to 15%, and for those who survive many have life-long complications. Thanks to the vaccine, those numbers have significantly been reduced. In 2018, there were 360 reported cases.
Prior to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine, thousands of children experienced serious disease requiring hospitalization and resulted in 20 to 60 deaths per year in the United States.
Before the Hepatitis A vaccine was introduced, the virus was a significant cause of illness and death with an estimated 416 deaths in the U.S. in 1990, the year before the vaccine was available. Outbreaks caused a significant number of hospitalizations and social disruption.
Before the Hepatitis B vaccine became available, there were roughly 200,000 new infections annually, including about 20,000 children, leading to many chronic infections, cirrhosis and liver cancer especially in infants, where 90% of infected newborns developed lifelong infection. The vaccine dramatically reduced childhood infections by over 95% in countries with universal vaccine programs, preventing severe long-term illness and deaths.
Influenza disease can be especially deadly for young children. During the 2024-25 influenza season, 280 children died from influenza.
With regard to COVID-19 as of June 2023, 1,642 children died as a result of COVID-19 disease. Most of these children had not been vaccinated.
As a result of the new immunization schedule many parents may opt out of having their children immunized against these potentially deadly diseases. While some children may be more at risk from these diseases, almost every child is potentially susceptible and may suffer severe illness or even death. Not having your child immunized is a risky decision that could have devastating consequences. I wonder if Mr. Kennedy might think differently about these diseases if he had the heartbreaking experience that I had, having to interview parents who lost a child to meningitis or rotavirus or telling a parent that their infant was chronically infected with Hepatitis B?
Rich DiPentima, of Portsmouth, has served as Chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Assistant Director of Public Health for the NH Division of Public Health Services, Deputy Public Health Director for the Manchester Health Department and is a retired NH Air National Guard public health officer.