Multiple states—including Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, and Wisconsin have sued Donald Trump’s administration over reduced childhood vaccine recommendations, warning the policy contradicts science and could expose children to preventable, potentially dangerous diseases nationwide
Fifteen Democratic-led US states have filed a lawsuit against the administration of Donald Trump, challenging its decision to scale back routine childhood vaccine recommendations. The legal action comes after the US Department of Health and Human Services announced sweeping changes in January under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., long known for his skepticism about vaccines.
The new policy removes universal recommendations for several key childhood immunisations, including those for rotavirus, influenza, Covid-19, hepatitis A, meningococcal disease, RSV, and hepatitis B.
Instead, these vaccines will now be advised only for children considered at higher risk. This is a big change from long-standing public health advice, which has consistently backed routine vaccinations as the most reliable way to prevent outbreaks and protect communities.
States warn policy contradicts science, risks children’s health
State officials leading the lawsuit argue the changes undermine scientific consensus and could strain public health systems. “Secretary RFK Jr. and his CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are flouting decades of scientific research, ignoring credible medical experts, and threatening to strain state resources and make America’s children sicker,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is spearheading the case alongside Arizona officials.
The lawsuit names Kennedy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Health and Human Services as defendants. Health experts warn that limiting vaccine recommendations could leave more children vulnerable to preventable diseases, particularly in a country with uneven healthcare access.
“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,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes at a press conference.
Growing political and medical backlash
The vaccine overhaul has triggered widespread concern across the medical community and political establishment. Vaccination rates in the US have already declined since the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of renewed outbreaks of highly contagious diseases such as measles.
California Governor Gavin Newsom strongly criticised the policy, saying, “California is going back to court because the Trump administration is violating federal law and pushing a reckless, unscientific childhood vaccine schedule that puts kids’ lives at risk.”
With multiple states—including Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, and Wisconsin—joining the lawsuit, the legal battle could have far-reaching implications for national vaccine policy and public health in the United States.
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