The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is recommending that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduce the number of universally recommended vaccines from 17 to 11, but not all health experts in Montana are on board.Under the proposed changes, vaccines such as the flu, COVID-19, and RSV would fall under a shared decicion-making category between parents and healthcare providers rather than being universally recommended.For new parents Sterling Redstar and Merasia Fisher, who welcomed their newborn son Sterling Prinze II at Billings Clinic two weeks ago, vaccines are already on their radar despite their baby not being scheduled for vaccinations for another two months."I know that's the best for his health. Like, it's updated. So I feel safe using it," Fisher said Tuesday.Both parents currently trust their healthcare provider's recommendations when it comes to vaccinating their child."I feel safe just because doctors recommend it. And if it's healthy for my child, I'm with it," Redstar said. "If your doctor is recommending it, you know, I would 100% just go with it, especially if they are recommending it."However, the CDC's new recommendations have left them feeling uncertain."I just don't think that's necessary just because, like, they're newborns and they do go through a lot, especially in a short amount of time," Redstar said."The majority are perfectly fine. Probably better than they were. So I feel like it's best to just leave it," Fisher said.Dr. Michael Temporal, a member of the Montana Medical Association, believes the changes are sending mixed messages to the public."To suggest that the science of those studies are no longer valid, I think, is miscommunication and unfair representation of the data," Temporal said.The CDC is modeling the vaccine changes after Denmark's approach, but Temporal questions whether that model is appropriate for the United States."What works in the European Union or in Denmark doesn't necessarily translate to what can work here in the United States," Temporal said.The Montana Medical Association has expressed opposition to the proposed changes."The medical community doesn't like that they want to go from 17 to 11. We disagree that the changes are necessary or particularly helpful," Temporal said.For now, Redstar and Fisher plan to continue following their doctor's guidance regarding their newborn's vaccination schedule. ...read more read less