FILE-A vaccine is given at a pediatrician's office. (Santiago Mejia/ The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Over a dozen states sued the Trump administration over its repeal of vaccine recommendations for children.
The states assert that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put children's lives at risk when the agency announced in January that it would stop recommending all children get immunized against the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV.
RELATED: US drops number of vaccines it recommends for every child: What to know
This lawsuit, which was filed on Feb. 24, comes months after Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and California Gov. Gavin Newsom created an alliance to establish their own vaccine recommendations.
What are the new health recommendations for children?
Why you should care:
Under the new policy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will now recommend that all children get vaccinated against 11 diseases. However, what’s no longer recommended is protection against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis or RSV.
The Associated Press reported that protections against those diseases are only recommended for certain groups considered substantial risk, or when doctors recommend them in what’s called "shared decision-making."
Moreover, the new vaccine guidance is the opposite of established medical recommendations and will require states to spend more money to safeguard against outbreaks.
According to the AP, states, not the federal government, can require vaccinations for schoolchildren, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirements typically influence state regulations.
Separately, this latest lawsuit by states against the Trump administration continues a battle over the federal government’s modifications to public health policy under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump’s administration has laid off thousands of workers at federal public health agencies, slashed funding for scientific research and changed guidance on fluoride and other key health matters.
And in 2025, Kennedy dismissed every member of a vaccine advisory committee, replacing the members with his own selections, which is also challenged in the new lawsuit.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.