WEEKLY UPDATE: 02/26/26
On Tuesday, February 24, Attorney General William Tong announced that Connecticut is one of 15 states suing the Trump administration for overhauling the nation’s childhood immunization schedule. The plaintiff states are asking the court to declare the new recommendations unlawful.
The lawsuit challenges a decision memorandum issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on January 5 that proposed a revised childhood and adolescent immunization schedule. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) then-acting director, Jim O’Neill, accepted the recommendations and signed the memo that stripped seven childhood vaccines — those protecting against rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — of their universally recommended status.
The complaint also challenges HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s replacement of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the expert federal panel that has guided U.S. vaccine policy for decades. In December 2025, the reconstituted ACIP reversed nearly 30 years of CDC policy by eliminating the recommendation for a universal hepatitis B birth dose.
The complaint names Kennedy, CDC Acting Director Jay Bhattachary, and the CDC and HHS as defendants.
Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Manisha Juthani said in a statement that Connecticut’s childhood immunization schedule has not changed, and all vaccines remain available and covered by insurance with no cost-sharing.
“Families should know that the evidence supporting the vaccines long recommended to protect children is sound and supported by multiple medical societies,” Juthani said. “We will continue to rely on rigorous scientific evidence and trusted medical expertise to guide our policies and protect the health of our residents. Our commitment is, and always will be, to follow the data and do what is in the best interest of Connecticut’s children and communities.”
The new federal childhood immunization schedule reduced the recommended routine vaccinations for all children from 17 to 11 diseases. The guidance established three distinct immunization categories: (1) recommended for all children, (2) recommended for certain high-risk groups or populations, and (3) based on shared clinical decision-making. The first category includes vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and varicella (chickenpox).
Related News:
Connecticut Health Officials Reaffirm Recommendation for Hepatitis B Birth Dose
