The U.S. government is challenging a judge’s order that halted efforts to scale back routine vaccine recommendations for children.
WEBDESK – NJNEWSLINE
The administration of Donald Trump has filed an appeal against a federal court ruling that blocked plans to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children in the United States.
The appeal, submitted Wednesday, challenges a March 16 order by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, which halted changes introduced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
The proposed policy would have ended broad recommendations for childhood vaccinations against illnesses such as flu, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, certain forms of meningitis, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Murphy’s ruling also blocked a meeting of a restructured federal vaccine advisory panel, keeping existing recommendations in place while the legal challenge proceeds.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups, which argue the changes could undermine public health protections.
The lawsuit initially focused on efforts to scale back COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women but was later expanded to include broader changes to the national childhood immunization schedule.
Kennedy, who has previously expressed skepticism about vaccines, also dismissed the existing Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replaced it with new members, a move the court said likely violated federal law.
The judge ordered the reconstituted panel and its decisions to be put on hold.
The administration’s appeal did not provide detailed arguments for overturning the ruling, and officials have not explained the several-week delay before filing.
Legal representatives for the plaintiffs said they remain confident the court will uphold the block, warning that the policy changes could weaken longstanding immunization programs.
The case is expected to have significant implications for U.S. vaccine policy and public health guidance as it moves through the appeals process.
