Colorado health leaders are urging parents to continue following the full schedule of childhood vaccinations, despite recent changes in federal guidance that have raised concerns among medical professionals.
Federal officials recently removed several vaccines—including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningitis, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), influenza, coronavirus, and rotavirus—from the list of routine immunizations for babies and children. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends these vaccines only for “high-risk groups and populations” or after a discussion between parents and their child’s healthcare provider.
This change has led to criticism from physician organizations and public health experts. The American Academy of Pediatrics described the CDC’s move as “dangerous and unnecessary,” stating it would maintain its own evidence-based recommendations. “At a time when parents, pediatricians and the public are looking for clear guidance and accurate information, this ill-considered decision will sow further chaos and confusion and erode confidence in immunizations,” said Dr. Andrew D. Racine, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The American Medical Association also voiced opposition to the updated CDC guidelines. “Changes of this magnitude require careful review, expert and public input, and clear scientific justification,” said Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, an AMA trustee. “When longstanding recommendations are altered without a robust, evidence-based process, it undermines public trust and puts children at unnecessary risk of preventable disease.”
In Colorado, state health officials continue to recommend families adhere to the American Academy of Pediatrics Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, stated: “Colorado’s vaccine guidance is rooted in decades of strong scientific evidence and real-world experience. Regardless of changes at the federal level, our priority is ensuring families and providers have trusted, evidence-based guidance to keep children and communities healthy.”
UCHealth medical providers are supporting this stance as well. Dr. Michelle Barron, UCHealth’s senior medical director of infection prevention and control—and a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine—expressed concern about the new CDC recommendations: “We continue to follow the science, as we always have, and we think the guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics is still the correct guidance.” She added that moving certain vaccines away from universal recommendation could be especially troubling because there is already dialogue between clinicians and families regarding vaccinations.
“You can trust that your provider has your interests in mind,” Barron said.
The Colorado Department of Public Health continues to advise adherence to established vaccination schedules based on longstanding scientific research.
