This winter, there has been a rise in measles cases in the U.S. South Carolina is the center of the outbreak, and the virus keeps spreading, with 26 states reporting cases. Last year, there were [missing information] in the U.S. Both individuals were not vaccinated. We are witnessing the results of the decreasing vaccination rates, and because of recent federal policy changes, parents should prepare for more disease risks for their children.

Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change the classification of six vaccines on the [missing information], stating that the agency was no longer recommending them for regular use in children. At the same time, federal officials like [missing information] said that those who wanted these vaccines for their children would still be able to obtain them.

Parents, don’t trust them. What used to be a simple process, mostly paid for by insurance or public funds, is likely to become burdened with more paperwork, higher out – of – pocket expenses, and fewer choices. You and your children may still be able to get these vaccinations, but at a high cost.

What are the changes to the vaccine schedule?

[Missing information] in the U.S. anymore because of regular vaccination. However, with the schedule revisions, Hepatitis A is now [missing information] for those travelling internationally to some countries. As vaccination rates go down, there will be more Hepatitis A infections in children, which [missing information].

Other vaccinations that protect against respiratory syncytial virus, Hepatitis B, and meningococcal disease are now only recommended for certain “[missing information]”. The revised schedule has also moved rotavirus, influenza, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and meningococcal vaccines to be recommended only based on “shared clinical decision – making,” which has not been widely applied to vaccines before.

To be clear, these new schedule designations were not based on new data. Instead, federal officials justified the downgrading of these six vaccines by looking at [missing information] and choosing an outlier with the lowest number of vaccines on its schedule [missing information]. It’s unclear why Denmark was chosen, considering it’s a much smaller country that offers universal free healthcare.

Data on the burden of these diseases, such as that [missing information] 10 to 15 of every 100 infected people, or that [missing information] who get Hepatitis B will have chronic liver disease, were not taken into account. In defending the revised schedule, federal officials have stressed that insurance companies will still cover the vaccines that are no longer universally recommended.

This might not be the case for long. Last fall, most major health insurance companies [missing information] and promised that through the end of 2026, they would continue to cover any vaccine on the schedule as of Sept. 1, 2025. The Department of Health and Human Services is relying on the goodwill of insurance companies to ease parents’ concerns.

But that promise expires at the end of this year. After that, it’s anyone’s guess whether insurers will continue to cover all vaccines without extra costs for families.

How the Affordable Care Act protected free vaccines for families

When the [missing information], insurers were required to fully cover vaccines on the CDC’s schedule that were recommended for regular use. The current problem is that due to the schedule changes, some vaccines are no longer recommended for regular use. They are only recommended for certain high – risk groups or after shared clinical decision – making.

To be sure, the cost – effectiveness of preventing dangerous infectious diseases in children is one reason to hope that insurers will continue to cover these vaccines after the end of the year. Before the regular vaccination against rotavirus, more than [missing information] were rushed to the emergency department, and 55,000 – 70,000 children were hospitalized every year due to severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. The regular vaccination against this gastrointestinal infection reduced U.S. healthcare costs [missing information] from 2008 to 2013.

But insurance providers focus on their profits, and without legal restrictions, they might go back to the tactics seen before the Affordable Care Act, such as requiring co – payments for these vaccines.

Coverage in the Vaccines for Children program under the new guidelines

Also uncertain are the commitments of the [missing information] of vaccines in the U.S.: the federal government. In 1994, Congress established the [missing information], which pays for vaccines for uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid – enrolled, and American Indian or Alaska Native children. The federal government negotiates directly with vaccine manufacturers to get better prices and then buys vaccine products to distribute to participating clinics across the country.

More than [missing information] born in 2020 were eligible to get their shots for free through this federal program. In its first 20 years alone, the program helped prevent 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 child deaths, at a [missing information] to American taxpayers.

As a result, we may see that the Vaccines for Children program reduces the purchase of vaccines that are no longer recommended for regular use, or starts to require proof that the child was actually in a high – risk group or that shared clinical decision – making was done. The expected outcome is a reduction in vaccine options for parents who rely on this program.

In the weeks after the vaccine schedule change, major medical groups have said they are sticking to the previous schedule, and many physicians and parents say the changes [missing information]. Following the old schedule may work for now, but obstacles will appear for parents trying to keep their kids healthy.

The U.S. is on a dangerous path. The health and lives of our children—and all of us—depend on the protections we have developed and benefited from for decades.

Due to the federal vaccine schedule changes, measles will be just one of many vaccine – preventable diseases that will return to our communities.