Vermont Commissioner of Health Rick Hildebrant, M.D., is holding firm, saying the state will continue its current childhood vaccine schedule—backed by pediatric and family medicine organizations—despite changes announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reducing the number of vaccines advised for all children ages 11–17. Vermont health officials said the state will not change its policies and will continue to follow science-based guidance.
“The biggest impact this has caused is a lot of confusion,” Dr. Hildebrant said. “Just to be abundantly clear, we do not recommend any changes. What the federal government is making some statements about are changes that are not backed by science, and that’s what’s really challenging for us to address.”
Doctors say the mixed messaging is already affecting parents. Rebecca Bell, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine and a pediatric critical care physician at Golisano Children’s Hospital, said families who previously vaccinated their children are now expressing new concerns.
“We’re used to vaccine hesitancy, but now we’re seeing parents who have fully vaccinated their older children feeling nervous,” Dr. Bell said. “There’s a lot of really confusing information, and we want families to know where to go for reliable sources.”
Health officials encouraged parents with questions to speak with trusted health care providers, including pediatricians, school nurses, or pharmacists.
This topic was also covered by WCAX-TV.