After federal vaccine shift, lawmakers signal possible state response

CT Examiner – Wednesday, January 14, 2026
By Robert Storace

HARTFORD — Lawmakers are raising concerns after the U.S. Department of Health announced it would narrow its vaccine recommendations, prompting discussions with the state health department about possible changes to Connecticut law.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently stated that vaccines against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, meningococcal disease, flu and COVID would now only be recommended for children at high risk of serious illness, after “shared clinical decision-making” or consultation between doctors and parents.

The CDC maintained its recommendations for 11 childhood vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella and whooping cough, among others.

Public Health Committee co-Chair Cristin McCarthy Vahey, D-Fairfield, said she is “concerned” and “disturbed” by the news and that her committee would be conferring with the state Department of Health about possibly changing state statutes. She said the narrowing of vaccine recommendations could be dangerous.

“I’m deeply concerned by the change in the recommendations. The previously established recommendations were based on long-standing science and bodies of evidence over time. And here in Connecticut, we stand by that body of evidence that has helped to prevent serious disease and to prevent childhood disease,” she said. “… This decision was made unilaterally and without transparency and communications and [without] consulting experts.”

In a statement Wednesday, state Department of Health spokesperson Maura Fitzgerald said Connecticut’s vaccine schedule remains unchanged and all vaccines remain available.

“We continue to work with the Governor’s office and the public health committee to ensure that the people of Connecticut have access to the vaccines they want and need to protect their health,” she said.

McCarthy Vahey advised that parents should heed the advice of state Department of Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, who recommended they talk to their pediatrician or provider first.

According to the data.ct.gov, Connecticut leads the nation with 98.2% of kindergartners fully vaccinated for MMR in the 2024-25 school year.

“We want to keep our vaccination rates high,” McCarthy Vahey said. “We, in the state, need to make sure that we are sending clear and consistent messages that have been sent over time — that we know that the [vaccine] schedule has been in place and is safe and effective for children.”

State Rep. Joe Polletta, R-Watertown, a member of the Public Health Committee, said this week that “the GOP caucus stands with science.”

But, Polletta added, he favors the committee holding public hearings before moving forward with possible changes to state statutes or other measures.

“If the federal government is putting out some different guidelines, we should see which ones have worked and what the science says and we can assess it,” he said. “We can have a public hearing on it. … I know there are people that have had vaccine injuries — and they are the ones predominantly that have come out at some of these [public hearings]. … But for the most part, we’ve heard that the [vaccines] that have been around a long time work, and they are safe and Connecticut as a state has embraced them.”

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