The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases endorses existing immunisation guidelines for children amid rising concerns over vaccine recommendations following a White House executive order.
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has backed the American Academy of Pediatrics’ childhood immunisation schedule after a White House executive order on August 10 raised fresh concern about vaccine guidance for children. In a statement, NFID medical director Robert H. Hopkins Jr. said protecting children from avoidable infectious diseases “must remain a national public health priority” and warned that any changes to long-standing recommendations should rest on clear scientific evidence and independent review.
Hopkins said the case for maintaining current recommendations is strengthened by a rise in measles and by a difficult influenza period. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 280 paediatric influenza deaths in the 2024-25 season, the highest number in a seasonal epidemic since 2004, with a national rate of 3.8 deaths per 1 million children. The CDC said the median age of those who died was 7 and that 56% had at least one underlying medical condition.
NFID argued that the number of vaccines or doses on a schedule is not, by itself, a measure of whether it is effective. What matters, the group said, is whether each recommendation is backed by evidence on benefits and risks in the context of the diseases children in the United States face. It also said vaccine policy should reflect US disease patterns and healthcare needs, and should not simply mirror schedules used in other countries.
The foundation also cautioned that altering the schedule could make vaccines harder to obtain and leave fewer children protected. That, it said, could allow diseases that have long been controlled to return. NFID said it remains committed to providing evidence-based information to families and healthcare professionals, and urged parents with questions to speak with a trusted clinician.
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