Experts decry cuts to CDC’s childhood vaccine schedule
Plus, rising flu and whooping cough cases drew both concern and skepticism.
Plus, rising flu and whooping cough cases drew both concern and skepticism.
The CDC significantly decreased the number of immunizations recommended for all children, sparking debates online about the safety and effectiveness of routine vaccines and the credibility of the agency’s vaccine guidance. Plus, flu activity has surged across the U.S., leading to concern among experts and the public about the early spike in severe cases and hospitalizations. Finally, a news investigation of declining DTaP coverage fueled online conversations about herd immunity.
Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.
What’s trending in vaccine conversation:
On January 5, the CDC reduced the recommended number of routine childhood immunizations from 17 to 11, an unprecedented change made without input from vaccine advisers and without scientific justification. Under the revised guidance, the CDC recommends immunizations against COVID-19, the flu, RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, bacterial meningitis, and rotavirus only for high-risk populations or through shared clinical decision-making. Health experts and medical groups criticized the change and emphasized that it is not evidence-based. Social media users discussed the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases, the risks of declining childhood vaccination rates, and the possibility that the CDC’s actions will affect vaccine cost and access. Vaccine opponents promoted myths about the number and safety of vaccines that children receive in the U.S.
As flu cases and hospitalizations rose nationwide in the last two weeks of 2025, social media users debated whether this flu season is particularly severe and the importance of flu vaccination. Many posts and news articles discussed the dominant flu strain, which is not well matched to this season’s vaccine. Some vaccine opponents questioned the safety and effectiveness of the flu vaccine and repeated the misconception that flu vaccination increases risk of infection.
A December 17 NBC News investigation of 31 states found that 70 percent of communities have DTaP vaccination rates under herd immunity level. The analysis also revealed that vaccination rates are declining in three-quarters of communities. Online reactions to the article were mixed, with some users emphasizing how severe whooping cough is for infants and others claiming that vaccination isn’t effective. Many posts connected whooping cough outbreaks in multiple states to falling vaccination rates and encouraged people to vaccinate their children and get boosters. Some posts falsely claimed that vaccination does not affect herd immunity.
Read the fact checks:
- AAP: Fact Checked: U.S. Vaccine Recommendations are Appropriate for Children in the United States
- Everyday Health: Flu Shot Myths and Misconceptions Debunked
- AAP: Fact Checked: DTaP Vaccine Stops Spread of Whooping Cough
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
Recommendations for public health professionals
The Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. Use these helpful tips when creating content, updating web pages and FAQs, and developing strategy for messaging about vaccines.
The CDC’s decision to change the childhood vaccine schedule—without transparency or clear scientific justification—may undermine trust in vaccines, confuse parents and providers, and increase hesitancy. Health communicators may continue to lead with evidence from trusted sources such as the American Academy of Pediatrics or American Academy of Family Physicians, emphasizing that the science has not changed: Decades of research show that childhood vaccines are safe and effective. Messaging may explain how vaccines protect children before they’re exposed to deadly diseases and emphasize that major medical groups continue to support evidence-based vaccine recommendations. Finally, health communicators may wish to prepare for questions about the updated guidance, including how shared clinical decision-making works and that most recommended immunizations should continue to be covered by insurance.
Flu vaccine myths are persistent and may influence people to delay or refuse vaccination, putting them at risk during a severe flu season. Debunking messaging may explain that flu vaccination does not cause the flu and that large-scale research shows it reduces risk of infection, severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even in years when the vaccine isn’t the best match to the circulating strain. Health communicators may emphasize that major medical organizations recommend annual vaccination as the best protection against the flu.
In response to concerns about DTaP vaccine effectiveness, health communicators may highlight the risks of whooping cough for infants and young children and the benefits of vaccination to protect people of all ages. Messaging may emphasize that whooping cough is currently on the rise and that babies and young children who are not fully vaccinated are at the highest risk.