CT Sues To Block Overhaul Of Childhood Immunization Schedule

Connecticut is among multiple states now suing to stop federal changes to the nation’s childhood immunization schedule.

“We are suing to protect lives, and to make sure that our nation’s powerful public health guidance follows the law and reflects the facts,” Attorney General William Tong said, in an announcement Tuesday.

Other states involved in the litigation include Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

The plaintiffs assert lower vaccination rates will lead to higher rates of infectious disease.

The complaint names Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Jay Bhattacharya, and both agencies as defendants.

In January, the CDC reduced the number of vaccines it recommends for every child. The CDC announced it will continue to recommend that all children are immunized against 10 diseases, as well as varicella (chickenpox). For other diseases, the CDC is recommending immunization in certain instances, such as for high-risk groups. In contrast, the CDC in 2024 recommended 17 immunizations for all children.

At the time, Kennedy said the goal was to align the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus.

According to Tong, the new lawsuit challenges a January CDC memo that stripped seven childhood vaccines from their recommended status. These seven vaccines protect against rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

State Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said public health decisions “must be grounded in credible science, established process, and the rule of law – not ideology.”

Connecticut has endorsed the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2026 childhood vaccination recommendations and rejected the CDC guidance.

According to Juthani, Connecticut’s childhood immunization schedule has not changed, and all vaccines remain available.

“Families should know that the evidence supporting the vaccines long recommended to protect children is sound and supported by multiple medical societies,” Juthani said.

The litigation also challenges the federal decision to change the membership of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, a long-standing panel of medical scholars and public health experts which has guided U.S. vaccine policy.

The lawsuit asserts new members put in place by the Trump administration lack the required expertise and qualifications to serve.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to overturn both the vaccine schedule changes and ACIP appointments.

Read more:

CT Health Department Endorses Physician-Backed Childhood Immunization Recommendations, Rejects CDC Guidance