On Jan. 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made sweeping changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.
Now, to receive some vaccines, you may need to have a conversation with your child’s doctor.
Medical groups across the country oppose the new recommendations, warning they’ll cause confusion, lower vaccination rates and eventual outbreaks. Here’s what Indianapolis families need to know.
This story was last updated Jan. 13, 2026.
What are the changes?
Previously, the CDC recommended children 18 and under receive vaccines that protect against more than a dozen diseases. The Trump administration, breaking with decades of precedent, removed some shots from the list.
In several cases, federal health officials recommended “shared clinical decision making.” That means leaving the choice to vaccinate up to parents and physicians. Other recommendations are for “high risk” groups, though health officials say it’s hard to define the term.
“How do you decide who is high risk or not?” said Shandy Dearth, an epidemiologist at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis. “The guidelines aren’t very clear. There will be longer conversations about this with health care providers.”
New CDC vaccine recommendations for only “high risk” children:
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Meningococcal disease
New CDC vaccine recommendations based on “shared clinical decision-making”:
- COVID-19
- Flu
- Rotavirus
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Meningococcal disease
Can my child still get these shots?
Yes — and doctors say they should.
“The CDC’s changes have no scientific backing,” said Dr. Sarah Bosslet, who works at Traders Point Pediatrics on the northwest side. “We still recommend everything the way it was before.”
She is a member of the Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a national association promoting the health of children. In a statement, AAP’s president called federal childhood vaccine changes “dangerous” and asked parents to follow the organization’s recommended immunization schedule instead.
Dearth, the local epidemiologist, recommended contacting your child’s doctor in advance about the changes, including which vaccines are available.
“Most physicians are going to recommend universal coverage,” Dearth said. “If parents are unsure about how their pediatrician views this, they can call the office.”
Bosslet suggested taking time at your child’s checkup to ask questions, too.
“We’re getting this barrage of confusing information from a small group of people who are not basing their information on science,” she told Mirror Indy. “Nothing should change at your doctor’s office.”
Will insurance coverage change?
Currently, no.
The CDC said all childhood vaccines, even those placed in different categories, will still be covered by insurance. That includes federal programs helping vaccinate uninsured children.
How do I access vaccines in Indianapolis?
Parents and children can get vaccinated through a doctor’s office, pharmacies and the Marion County Public Health Department, which offers free appointments and community clinics. Vaccine.gov can help locate pharmacies in your ZIP code.
Why this matters
Child vaccination rates are falling in Indiana and across the country. Already, some diseases that were once considered eliminated in the U.S. have returned — including measles outbreaks.
At the same time, the CDC is being led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has falsely linked vaccines to autism.
“The point of vaccination is to decrease your risk of hospitalization and death,” said Bosslet, the Indianapolis pediatrician.“While you may still get one of these infections, your risk of severe illness goes down.”
Low vaccination rates also cause secondary problems, she said: lower school attendance, parents missing work and potential medical debt from hospital visits.
Dearth, the epidemiologist, put it simply: “For every kid that goes unvaccinated, that’s a kid more vulnerable. And they didn’t have to be.”
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Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.
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