15 States Sue HHS, CDC Over Childhood Vaccine Changes

A coalition of 15 states filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over revisions to the nation's childhood immunization schedule, arguing the changes threaten public health and impose undue burdens on state resources.

The suit, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco, names HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CDC acting director Jay Bhattacharya, and the agencies as defendants. It is led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, with participation from attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, along with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

At issue are modifications announced in January that shifted seven vaccines from universal recommendations for all children to options reserved for high-risk groups or shared clinical decision-making between parents and providers. The affected vaccines protect against rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A,...