A federal judge has overturned new childhood vaccination recommendations issued this January by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ruling the changes unlawful and inconsistent with established scientific procedures.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy found that earlier vaccine guidance— which reduced the number of recommended childhood immunizations from 16 to 11 and downgraded recommendations for vaccines such as rotavirus, influenza, and hepatitis A—disregarded the scientific, procedural methods previously used and codified in law. Murphy also blocked Kennedy’s 13 appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), ruling the committee had been improperly constituted.
The lawsuit was brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other major medical groups, which argued ACIP had become dominated by individuals aligned with Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views and was no longer fairly balanced as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Following the ruling, ACIP meetings scheduled for this week—where the panel had planned to discuss potential changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations—were postponed. The judge also put a hold on ACIP votes taken since June, including a December decision to roll back a recommendation that newborns receive the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
Medical groups and pediatricians praised the ruling. AAP President Andrew Racine called it a “historic and welcome outcome,” saying it restores a science-based process for immunization policy. Pediatricians including Graham Tse and Danelle Fisher said the changes had been made by individuals without relevant expertise and without new data, and that rolling back established recommendations would harm children. Tse said a single, unified vaccination schedule supported across federal and state authorities is important to prevent confusion and maintain vaccine acceptance.
Experts emphasized the public-health stakes. The AAP recommends vaccination against 18 diseases from birth through age 18. Public-health officials point to recent outbreaks—more than 1,300 confirmed measles cases in the United States in 2026 versus 285 in all of 2024—as evidence of the consequences of lower vaccination coverage. William Schaffner, a medicine professor, noted vaccines protect vulnerable and immunocompromised individuals and have dramatically reduced childhood illness and death.
The Trump administration, which installed Kennedy as HHS secretary, is expected to appeal Murphy’s ruling. The decision halts Kennedy-era changes to federal vaccine policy while legal challenges proceed, and underscores judicial protection of established scientific processes in federal immunization policymaking.
