Multistate lawsuit launched against Trump administration over childhood vaccine policy
A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general has launched a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging recent alterations to the federal government’s childhood vaccine schedule. Medical organizations have warned that these changes could lead to a decline in inoculation rates across the country.
Since taking office, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has significantly revised long-standing vaccine policies. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) subsequently issued a new immunisation schedule, which removed universal recommendations for vaccines against COVID-19, rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B. Instead, the CDC now advises parents to consult healthcare providers under a system it terms “shared clinical decision-making.”
The attorneys general of California and Arizona, alongside 14 other states and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, all Democrats, are set to file a complaint in a Northern California federal court on Tuesday to contest these changes.
An HHS spokeswoman, Emily Hilliard, defended the updated vaccine schedule as reflecting “common sense policy.” Dismissing the legal action, Hilliard stated: “This is a publicity stunt dressed up as a lawsuit.”
The lawsuit will also challenge Secretary Kennedy’s decision to replace members serving on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. This CDC panel is scheduled to convene in March, following the cancellation of its previously planned February session.
This multistate legal challenge mirrors an earlier action filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organisations, which is currently awaiting a decision from a Massachusetts federal judge.
During a press conference on Tuesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta highlighted the unique harms states face compared to other plaintiffs. “California will be forced to expend resources to treat once-rare diseases, to respond to outbreaks and to combat misinformation,” Bonta asserted.
Other states participating in the challenge include Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.
