On December 5, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an order to review and update the childhood vaccination schedule by way of a Presidential Memorandum, according to the CDC. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) met with other nations, including Denmark, to compare schedules. According to School Nurse Shelby Turner, six of the 17 vaccines — Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rotavirus, RSV, Influenza, and Meningococcal — were reclassified under different CDC recommendation categories for children. The schedule was released and the changes became effective a month later on January 5, 2026.
Now, the vaccines that have been reclassified are categorized as “recommended for high risk groups” and/or “shared clinical decision making,” which means that it is up to parents and physicians to address both the risks and benefits of the child being vaccinated before decisions are made.
“This leaves parents to navigate complex medical decisions rather than following clear, evidence-based guidance,” Turner said. “This change removes the certainty that families and healthcare professionals have relied on for decades and can lead to confusion, delays, and missed vaccinations…Children who miss or delay vaccines face higher risk of serious, preventable illnesses such as meningitis.” Children who are very young or have chronic health conditions are also most at risk.
Despite the federal changes, some students believe that vaccines are important to the community. “Vaccines are meant to help us,” junior Jack Siska said.
“When children are coming in sick, and they often do, our classrooms become a place where these illnesses spread easily,” Lower School drama teacher Dana O’Brien said. “Based on the number of flu cases that have been reported in the city this year and on the amount of children who have passed away due to the flu, it seems like the science points to a need to protect our children.”
Not only will this change affect the prior vaccine schedule, but “it can also make existing health inequities worse. Families with limited time, access to care or language barriers are more likely to miss these vaccines,” Turner said. The six reclassified vaccines will continue to be covered by private insurance, Medicaid, and the VFC program through at least the rest of the calendar year.
Illinois, however, is one of 25 states that have chosen to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’s (AAP) guidance as opposed to the updated CDC recommendations. The AAP’s guidance includes following the August 7, 2025 CDC vaccination schedule. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) also still recommends the previous schedule. Illinois schools including Parker follow the IDPH guidelines.
“Because of this, I do not anticipate any changes with how we require vaccinations at Parker,” Turner said, however, “if there’s ever a change in mandated vaccinations in Illinois or at Parker, our nurses’ office will definitely notify the community.”
As far as within the Parker community, “I am optimistic that this change will not significantly affect our community’s vaccination rates,” Turner said, because “Parker has historically had very high vaccination rates” and local requirements remain unchanged.
