Vermont health officials reaffirm existing childhood vaccine schedule in
light of federal changes
[January 09, 2026]
By OLIVIA GIEGER/VTDigger
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scaled back
federal guidelines for childhood vaccines Monday, moving six
immunizations out of the “recommended” category. Following the federal
action, Vermont officials and health experts are reaffirming the state’s
commitment to its existing childhood immunization schedule, which
recommends many of the vaccines that the CDC had removed.
The vaccines for flu, RSV, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A and B
were among the vaccines removed from the federal recommended category.
In Vermont, they remain recommended or required for child care or school
attendance.
The move is the latest in a series of efforts led by U.S. Health and
Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is an outspoken
skeptic of vaccines, to move away from established medical science on
immunization.
“In Vermont, vaccine policy will continue to be guided by scientific
evidence and informed by trusted medical organizations, including the
American Academy of Pediatrics,” state Health Commissioner Rick
Hildebrant wrote in a statement Tuesday.
“As always, we encourage families to consult trusted health care
professionals when making decisions about their children’s health,
including their pediatrician, school nurse, or local pharmacist. We also
urge caution when sharing or acting on unverified or misleading health
information,” his statement continued.
On Tuesday, he appeared before the Vermont House of Representatives’
Committee on Human Services to address the federal change and to testify
about a proposed state bill that aims to protect access to vaccines for
those who want and need them in Vermont.
Hildebrant confirmed to lawmakers that the cost of and access to
childhood vaccines has not changed with the federal recommendation shift
— insurers are still required to cover the costs of these vaccines. But
the Health Department is still taking steps to prepare for a future
where that is no longer the case as federal policy under President
Donald Trump’s administration continues to change.
“We are very concerned about what this could look like in the future,”
he said, adding that he worries this change is “setting the stage” for
more drastic restrictions on access to vaccines.
He said the Health Department is working to proactively safeguard
vaccine access in Vermont. The proposed bill H.545 is one path it is
taking to do so.
Currently, the state buys vaccines from the CDC, which buys the vaccines
from manufacturers in bulk and is able to offer lower prices. Yet,
earlier in the fall, this reliance on the federal body led to delays in
the state’s ability to procure the Covid-19 vaccines.
The bill also includes clearer guidelines for the state’s immunization
recommendation processes, relying on a committee of local experts, not
just federal vaccine panels. It adds details to ensure insurers will
continue covering the cost of vaccination and to offer legal immunity
for providers who administer the vaccines in good faith, following
broadly agreed upon medical science.
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A certified medical assistant holds a syringe for a flu vaccine at a
clinic in Seattle, on Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson,
File)
 Tracy Tyson is a pediatrician and
the president-elect of Vermont’s chapter of the American Academy of
Pediatrics. She told lawmakers in Tuesday’s hearing that her
organization sees Vermont as setting an important example by
solidifying its own state vaccine schedule separate from federal
recommendations.
Those at American Academy of Pediatrics “see Vermont as a
trailblazer in protecting the relationship between public health,
its providers and its patients,” she said.
She still worries there is serious harm in the current landscape of
shifting federal guidelines. Even though children can still get the
vaccines and insurance will cover them, the confusion that many
parents face about what protections their child should receive and
when is dangerous, she said. It hinders “true, informed consent,”
Tyson told lawmakers.
“It may seem like it’s giving more autonomy to families, but what
it’s giving is more confusion, and that is going to lead to more
lapses in care,” she said of the altered vaccine schedule.
Many health care providers across the state have echoed the state
Health Department in reaffirming the safety of the previous CDC
vaccine schedule.
“This schedule is grounded in rigorous science and the expertise of
immunologists, infectious disease specialists, and public health
professionals,” Dartmouth Health Children’s chief physician Keith
Loud wrote in a statement, referring to the previous guidelines. The
children’s hospital will continue to root its recommendations in the
American Academy of Pediatrics schedule.
The Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Vermont
Academy of Family Physicians and the Vermont Medical Society issued
a joint statement echoing the importance of these vaccines.
They are important not only for children’s health, Hildebrandt added
in his address to the House committee, but it is also a massive
cost-saving tool for the health care system.
“The reason we use vaccines is to prevent expensive and deadly
illnesses,” he said, giving the example of a $10 flu shot that could
prevent a child from landing in the emergency room or intensive care
unit, wracking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.
“The data on vaccines is a slam dunk. These are cost saving, not
cost generating,” he said.
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