Fifteen blue states sue HHS over childhood vaccine schedule...

“The Trump Administration and RFK Jr. are once again ignoring decades of science and evidence, pushing slop research that isn’t based in reality and actively imposing new policies that will lead to more children getting sick from preventable diseases. I’m going to court to ensure doctors and qualified experts are making vaccine recommendations; not conspiracy theorists,” Shapiro said in a statement. Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill signed a memorandum in January that cut the childhood vaccine schedule from 17 recommended vaccines down to 11. The prior recommended number was 18, including the COVID-19 vaccine, but the agency rolled back the vaccine recommendation for healthy children in May. HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard called the move from the blue states a “publicity stunt dressed up as a lawsuit” in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “By law, the health secretary has clear authority to make determinations on the CDC immunization schedule and the composition of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The CDC immunization schedule reforms reflect common-sense public health policy shared by peer, developed countries,” Hilliard said. The department removed the vaccinations for rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus from the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. Kennedy said the recommendation came after “an exhaustive review” of evidence. “We are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” Kennedy said in a January statement. DEMOCRATS SHARPENING CRITICISM OF MAHA FOR MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND BEYOND Blue states, notably California under Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), have challenged HHS throughout the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, branching off in multiple scenarios to issue their own recommendations on public health. “We will not stand by while politics overrides science and endangers our children. Just as we’ve done before, we’re standing up — alongside 14 other states — to defend the law, protect public health, and keep our kids safe,” Newsom said on Tuesday.