The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made significant changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, recommending 11 vaccines for children instead of 17.The CDC continues to recommend immunizations for measles, mumps a nd rubella, polio, chickenpox, HPV, and several other diseases.The agency has narrowed recommendations for hepatitis B and RSV to only high-risk groups.Parents who want to vaccinate their child for flu and COVID-19 will now need to consult with a doctor.None of these changes will affect insurance coverage.Health and Human Services says these changes followed a directive from President Trump to review international best practices from peer, developed countries.After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health, said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Denver7 Anchor Jessica Porter reached out to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Childrens Hospital Colorado for answers about what these changes mean for your child.The Colorado Public Health and Environment says that in December, the Board of Health voted to adopt the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule.Nothing is changing in Colorado with regard to vaccine requirements for school or childcare entry, said State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy.CDPHE sets vaccine requirements for preschool and K-12 schools.While Secretary Kennedy argues these changes will restore public trust, CDPHE says it is concerned they will increase confusion around vaccine recommendations.Herlihy said the changes by the CDC are not evidence-based.Those changes were not based on any new evidence or evidence reviews, and they were not made with input from vaccine experts. So that is certainly concerning to us in public health, that those changes were not made with consensus, which has really been our historical process for vaccine recommendations in the US, Herlihy said.Childrens Hospital Colorado says they will also continue to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule and will not adhere to the CDC vaccine schedule.We asked the hospital about the CDC decision to recommend RSV vaccines to only high-risk groups.In a statement, Childrens Hospital Colorado said:RSV is a very common virus in older children and adults and frequently leads to the common cold. The disease can be very severe and has become the leading cause of hospitalization for young children. That is why it is so important to get infants vaccinated."According to CDC data, RSV caused up to 370,000 hospitalizations and up to 24,000 deaths between October 1, 2024, and September 27, 2025.Childrens Hospital Colorado encourages families to discuss vaccines with their primary care provider.They also provided the following resources for parents and families: Truth About Vaccines article, the AAP, and Immunize Colorado. ...read more read less