Fifteen States Sue Trump Over Pediatric Vaccine Cuts

WASHINGTON: (Web Desk) – Fifteen Democratic-led US states announced Tuesday that they are suing the administration of former President Donald Trump over its reduction of recommended pediatric vaccines, calling the policy a dangerous move contrary to established scientific guidance.

The change, introduced in January by the US Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, means that seven vaccines — including those for rotavirus, influenza, Covid-19, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — will no longer be recommended for all children, but only for those considered at particular risk.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, leading the lawsuit alongside Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, criticized the administration, saying, “Secretary RFK Jr. and his CDC are flouting decades of scientific research, ignoring credible medical experts, and threatening to strain state resources and make America’s children sicker.”

The lawsuit names Kennedy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Health and Human Services as defendants.

The Trump administration justified the policy shift by citing vaccination schedules in countries like Denmark. However, critics argue that Denmark’s small, homogeneous population and universal health care system are not comparable to the US, where millions remain uninsured and vaccination access is uneven.

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“Copying Denmark’s vaccine schedule without copying Denmark’s health care system doesn’t give families more options — it just leaves kids unprotected from serious diseases,” Mayes said.

Since Trump’s return to the presidency 13 months ago, vaccine skepticism has grown, and routine childhood vaccination rates have declined following the Covid-19 pandemic. Health experts warn that the new policy could increase the risk of outbreaks of infectious diseases such as measles.

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move, stating that the administration’s “reckless, unscientific childhood vaccine schedule puts kids’ lives at risk” and undermines confidence in vaccines.

Other states joining the lawsuit include Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.