WHO questions new childhood vaccination policies in the United States
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed his firm rejection of the recent modifications to United States health policies. The international body warned that the reduction in childhood vaccine recommendations contradicts decades of consolidated scientific evidence.
Through his official channels, Tedros underscored the importance of public health decisions being based strictly on independent reviews and technical data, moving away from any political influence that could put the well-being of the child population at risk.
Changes to the federal calendar
The controversy arises following the executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which establishes a significant restructuring of the national immunization scheme. The main changes include:
- Reduction from 18 to 11 in the number of diseases for which the federal government recommends universal vaccination.
- Transfer of flu, COVID-19, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, and meningitis vaccines to risk-based or shared decision-making categories between parents and medical staff.
- Order for a comprehensive review of the federal childhood vaccination schedule.
Delaying vaccines or unnecessarily spacing out doses does not make vaccination safer, and it can leave children unprotected. Every parent wants to keep their children safe, and vaccines are among the most effective tools to do so, as they help prevent deadly diseases.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Concern among public health experts
The head of the WHO emphasized that current policies ignore key technical criteria, such as periods of greatest vulnerability in children and the efficacy of doses administered concurrently. For its part, the U.S. administration has linked these measures to concerns about autism, a stance that has been refuted by decades of scientific research that has found no causal link between vaccines and said disorder.
Public health specialists have expressed alarm at a possible resurgence of preventable diseases. This warning takes on greater relevance in a context where the United States is already facing worrying figures, recently recording the highest number of measles cases in decades.
