Vermont reaffirms childhood vaccine schedule after CDC narrows federal list

The CDC rollback, part of a series of federal actions under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has not yet altered insurance coverage requirements or access to vaccines in Vermont, but state officials said they are taking steps now to protect vaccine availability if federal policy tightens further.

Vermont health officials reaffirmed the state’s existing childhood immunization schedule Tuesday after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved six vaccines out of its recommended category the previous day, citing Vermont’s commitment to scientific evidence and guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Vermont Health Commissioner Rick Hildebrant appeared before the Vermont House of Representatives’ Committee on Human Services on Tuesday to address the federal change and testify in support of a proposed state bill aimed at protecting vaccine access. He told lawmakers that vaccines for flu, RSV, meningococcal disease, and hepatitis A and B remain recommended or required for child care and school attendance in Vermont, unchanged from the schedule that preceded the federal action.

The CDC rollback is the latest in a series of federal actions under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. It has not yet altered insurance coverage requirements or vaccine access in Vermont. Hildebrant confirmed to lawmakers that insurers are still required to cover the cost of the vaccines removed from the federal list.

“In Vermont, vaccine policy will continue to be guided by scientific evidence and informed by trusted medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics,” Hildebrant wrote in a statement issued Tuesday.

Despite the unchanged status today, Hildebrant said the Health Department is taking steps to prepare for more restrictive federal policy ahead.

“We are very concerned about what this could look like in the future,” he said, adding that he worries the CDC change is “setting the stage” for more drastic restrictions on vaccine access.

Legislation to lock in state protections

Vermont’s proposed bill H.545 would protect vaccine access by establishing clearer guidelines for the state’s immunization recommendation process — relying on a committee of local experts rather than solely on federal vaccine panels. The bill would also ensure insurers continue covering vaccination costs and would offer legal immunity for providers who administer vaccines in good faith, following broadly agreed-upon medical science.

Vermont currently buys vaccines through the CDC, which purchases them from manufacturers in bulk at lower prices. Earlier in the fall, that reliance led to delays in the state’s ability to procure Covid-19 vaccines — a vulnerability the bill is designed to address.

Physicians warn that confusion will cost lives

Tracy Tyson, a pediatrician and president-elect of Vermont’s chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told lawmakers that her organization views Vermont’s approach as a national model.

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.

Tyson cautioned, however, that shifting federal guidelines carry risks even when access remains intact. She said the confusion parents face about which vaccines their children should receive hinders “true, informed consent” and will result in missed or delayed vaccinations.

“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.

Keith Loud, chief physician at Dartmouth Health Children’s, said in a statement that the previous CDC schedule is “grounded in rigorous science and the expertise of immunologists, infectious disease specialists, and public health professionals.” The children’s hospital said it will continue to base its recommendations on the American Academy of Pediatrics schedule.

Vermont’s chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, and the Vermont Medical Society issued a joint statement echoing the importance of the vaccines removed from the federal list.

The economic case

Hildebrant argued that maintaining broad vaccine access is also a matter of health system economics. He told lawmakers that a $10 flu shot can prevent a child from landing in the emergency room or intensive care unit, where costs can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“The data on vaccines is a slam dunk. These are cost saving, not cost generating,” he said.