Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive The U.S. pares down recommended immunizations from 17 to 11

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/05/childhood-vaccine-schedule-new-cdc-recommendation-11-shots/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--XXAUUnn0RRJGmRJ04BrasVQfLdAgNGxULMjBlPn_mgR3iMB747YWTlOOLmZUCYHK3ioF13tXJbIYCJntLTjOYT414bQ&_hsmi=397638864&utm_content=397638864&utm_source=hs_email By Chelsea Cirruzzo and Helen BranswellJan. 5, 2026 Experts to conduct independent review of HPV vaccine Federal officials made waves this week when they slashed the number of recommended childhood vaccinations from 17 to 11, a decision top officials made without following the usual process for such changes. Health department officials also recommended a single dose of the vaccine against human papillomavirus, or HPV, as opposed to two. While some studies have found that a single dose of the vaccine, which prevents cervical and other cancers, is as effective as two shots, the U.S. does not currently have a licensed single-shot HPV vaccine. An independent group of experts announced Thursday that it plans to conduct its own review of scientific evidence related to the vaccine. In its announcement, the University of Minnesota's Vaccine Integrity Project noted that health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic, has in the past inaccurately called the HPV vaccine “the most dangerous vaccine ever invented.” The group plans to share more about the review’s scope and methods in the coming weeks. “Any consideration of changes to HPV vaccine recommendations must be grounded in high-quality evidence,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. “Our goal is to ensure that policymakers, clinicians, and the public have an accurate understanding of what the data actually show.” The U.S. government is failing on vaccine policy. The Vaccine Integrity Project is here to help It can’t replace governmental advisory bodies, but it can equip clinicians with information https://www.statnews.com/2025/07/03/vaccine-integrity-project-michael-osterholm-cidrap-rsv-flu-covid/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9wjzPTykG-oxPNFOFB0JrZpCxyM8PAskNWVOzl_1wvpMps87wCfkFveAf8zxqqwVS2K8C5rrHeEQmZxceG9UCydqJufQ&_hsmi=397638864&utm_content=397638864&utm_source=hs_email By Michael T. OsterholmJuly 3, 2025 Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Vaccine Integrity Project Steering Committee. U.S. government researchers present ‘phenomenal’ new data on HPV vaccines Findings on the effectiveness of a single dose could transform efforts to prevent cancers https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/28/hpv-vaccine-single-dose-prevents-infection-just-as-well-as-two-doses-hci-clinical-trial/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--NuGtNr8aAJrhZxbRaTxg7mT1KlBkmVMkNHoLR_vH94-2XGxHO9ZT_eYAzq4tPRK99yrUTvkrtaFt3j0P75Xzp0EKoSg&_hsmi=397638864&utm_content=397638864&utm_source=hs_email By Matthew HerperApril 28, 2025 Senior Writer, Medicine, Editorial Director of Events