By Tiffany Williams –
BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey has announced that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will continue to follow the full routine pediatric vaccination schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, rejecting recent changes to the federal schedule issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC, under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., significantly reduced the number of vaccines considered routine for U.S. children, moving several—including those for hepatitis A and B, influenza, rotavirus, COVID-19, meningococcal disease, and respiratory syncytial virus—into categories for high-risk children or shared clinical decision-making.
“No matter what happens in Washington, in Massachusetts we make public health decisions based on evidence and what will best protect our children and families,” Healey said. “Secretary Kennedy’s rollback of long-standing federal vaccine recommendations creates confusion for parents and providers and erodes trust. Our message to families is simple: we will continue to stand behind science and preserve access to the vaccines children need to stay healthy.”
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said states have a responsibility to lead when federal guidance is inconsistent. “The strength of public health depends on trust – trust that guidance is clear, consistent and grounded in science,” she said. “Massachusetts is choosing to follow pediatric experts and maintain vaccine recommendations that protect children and communities.”
Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein criticized the federal changes, calling them “reckless and deeply dangerous.” Goldstein noted ongoing outbreaks of measles and whooping cough, along with severe pediatric illness from respiratory viruses, saying the federal rollback “places children and communities at risk.”
Massachusetts law, updated last year, allows the state to set independent vaccine standards regardless of federal guidance. DPH is advising clinicians to continue using the AAP immunization schedule for routine pediatric vaccinations and to follow all state requirements for school and camp entry. Vaccines administered should be reported to the Massachusetts Immunization Information System.
The state is coordinating its approach with the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a bipartisan multi-state coalition that supports the AAP schedule, as well as similar alliances on the West Coast.
“The science is clear,” Goldstein said. “Vaccines remain one of the most effective tools we have to prevent serious illness and save lives. In Massachusetts, we will continue to lead with integrity, transparency, and an unshakeable commitment to protecting children’s health and well-being.”
DPH will continue monitoring federal immunization policy and will provide additional guidance as needed.