If you’re a young parent unsure about the Trump administration’s childhood vaccine policies, a Michiana physician hopes you will listen to physicians.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has sharply criticized both moves.
First the administration in January updated the official child immunization schedule, reducing the diseases covered from 17 to 11. Cut from the recommendation list were vaccines for influenza, Covid and some forms of meningitis.
South Bend Clinic physician Dr. Jim Harris says that was concerning enough.
“They all present significant public health problems if they start to flare again in our population and the only way to prevent that is with vaccines," Harris says. "I was part of doing the vaccine studies. ”
Then earlier this month Trump issued an executive order reinforcing the new 11-vaccine recommendation, and advising parents to spread the vaccines out across more appointments. Harris fears that also will lead to fewer children being fully vaccinated.
“I think it’s really going to affect parents and how much they want to get shots for their kids, it’s going to increase costs, and I think we’re going to see more and more people who aren’t going to get those shots done.”
