Bill Cassidy Says Childhood Vaccine Schedule Changes Will ‘Make America Sicker’

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican and one of Congress’ few medical professionals, on Monday criticized the Department of Health and Human Services’ newly revised vaccination schedule for children — saying it will “make America sicker.”

“The vaccine schedule IS NOT A MANDATE. It’s a recommendation giving parents the power,” Cassidy posted to X. “Changing the pediatric vaccine schedule based on no scientific input on safety risks and little transparency will cause unnecessary fear for patients and doctors, and will make America sicker.”

Cassidy’s comments came after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the Trump administration would reduce the recommended number of vaccines for children to 11 from 17. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer explicitly recommend children get vaccinated for rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

In a statement released Monday, the CDC said the decision was made after a “scientific review of the underlying science.”

The administration cited a report written by two administration officials who have questioned the efficacy of vaccines, in which they compared the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with those of other countries, determining that a reduction in trust in vaccines in the U.S. was due to what it called the “coercive measures” used by the CDC in the past by requiring them.

“It is not always possible for public health authorities to clearly define who will benefit from an immunization, who has the relevant risk factors, or who is at risk for exposure,” the CDC said in a press release. “Physicians and parents, who know the child, are then best equipped to decide based on individual characteristics.”

In his statement, Cassidy cited recent deaths in his state attributed to preventable diseases.

“Multiple children have died or were hospitalized from measles, and South Carolina continues to face a growing outbreak. Two children have died in my state from whooping cough,” he wrote. “All of this was preventable with safe and effective vaccines.”

In addition to the new vaccine schedule recommendations, Kennedy’s vaccine advisory committee, recently stocked with vaccine skeptics, opted to split up the previously combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine to require separate vaccinations.

A handful of Democrats on Monday joined Cassidy, as well as a host of medical organizations, in speaking out against the new vaccine schedule.

“Every reputable health care provider knows this is a dangerous and terrible idea. Without these vaccines, more children will die from preventable illnesses,” Rep. Diana DeGette posted to X. “The flu alone has already killed nine children this season.”

In an evening post to Truth Social, President Donald Trump touted the new vaccine schedule as “rooted in the Gold Standard of Science, and widely agreed upon by Scientists and Experts all over the World.”

“Parents can still choose to give their children all of the Vaccinations, if they wish, and they will still be covered by insurance. However, this updated Schedule finally aligns the United States with other Developed Nations around the World,” Trump continued. “Many Americans, especially the ‘MAHA Moms,’ have been praying for these COMMON SENSE reforms for many years.”

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This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS and Verite News.