The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently changed its guidelines for required vaccines, reducing the list from 17 core vaccines to 11. While these changes may seem significant, local schools and states are not required to follow them, which has led to some confusion among parents.
These updates can be difficult for new parents to keep track of, especially since vaccine schedules already feel complicated. Because of this, many families rely on advice from their pediatrician when making decisions about their child’s health.
School nurse Julie Doerge says she takes CDC recommendations into account, but the school ultimately follows its own policies.
“The new changes that have come out are a guideline, so they are not something that we necessarily have to implement,” Doerge said.
The CDC’s role is to inform people about health issues on a national level, but each state and school maintains the authority to decide their own requirements. This means that even if national guidelines change, local policies could remain the same.
“The thing is, the CDC is national, and really where the control is is in the states,” Doerge said. “And so our state has not made any comment or move yet to change anything.”
These changes will not have much of an effect on students who are already enrolled since most vaccines are given early in childhood. Instead, the impact is more noticeable for new parents with young children who are just beginning the vaccination process.
“Everybody who is in school now is fully aware of what the policy is,” Doerge said. “It may be a different conversation with incoming families, but nothing will change, and they will know up front when they apply.”
Another concern related to vaccine requirements is cost. For families receiving financial aid, the school must ensure that required vaccines are covered by insurance so no student is prevented from attending.
“One of the concerns I had was that vaccines would not be covered by insurance when these changes were made,” Doerge said. “But so far it has come out that they will continue to pay for these vaccines, which is important, especially for kids in programs where it is paid for by the government.”
Even with insurance coverage, Doerge worries that shifting policies could still confuse parents, especially for those who are new to the school or to parenting in general.
“The other thing I worry about is confusion for parents,” Doerge said. “If my pediatrician says I have to get it, is that what I go by? Or do I go by something else that just came out?”
Because health guidelines continue to adapt, parents are forced to make the best decisions they can with the information they have. .
“We will not change our vaccine policy or the number of vaccines that we request,” Doerge said.
