New York’s childhood vaccination policies, including school immunization requirements, remain unchanged following the U.S. government’s decision to cut the the number of vaccines it recommends for every child.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday said it would recommend that all children get vaccinated against 11 diseases, dropping broad recommendations for protection against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis or RSV. Protections against those diseases are only recommended for certain groups deemed high risk, or when doctors recommend them in what’s called “shared decision-making.”
“Despite changes announced at the federal level, New York State’s long-standing, childhood vaccine requirements remain the same,” state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement Tuesday. “There was no new science, safety data or discovery presented by the federal government. New Yorkers can continue to be confident that vaccines offer the best protection from preventable childhood diseases.”
McDonald said there is no change to vaccine access, insurance coverage, liability protections or the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.
The state had a similar sentiment last month when a federal vaccine advisory committee’s voted to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born.
The CDC’s decision comes as the nation is experiencing its highest number of flu cases in 25 years.
In New York, the recent weekly tally from the state Department of Health shows cases are down by 22,000 after a previous spike of 72,000 cases. However, hospitalizations are up by nearly 1,000.
“It’s been at exceptional levels,” said Dr. Danielle Wales, a primary care physician at Albany Medical Center. “Last year was a bad year, and it turns out this year may have actually been worse than last year.”
Overall, the numbers from season to season highlight a steady increase, with New York state already seeing close to half of the cases it saw last year.
“We’re seeing this affect adults and children equally this year,” said Wales.
This news comes as the Department of Health and Human Services is recommending fewer vaccines for most children.
“I updated the United States childhood and adolescent immunization schedule to recommend routine vaccination for all children against 11 diseases,” the department’s Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neil said in part.