Greene County Public Health Director Shelby Cooklin. Photo by Coltrane Carlson-Raccoon Valley Radio

Following the recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about making changes to recommended vaccines for children, one local expert clears up some confusion.

Greene County Public Health Director Shelby Cooklin says the CDC has decreased the number of recommended vaccinations for newborns and young children to 11 from the previous 17, with the six vaccines being moved into different pathways instead of a standard practice as was done before. 

She points out that Hepatitis A and B are only recommended for high-risk youth or a shared decision-making model between the family and the primary care physician. Cooklin notes that influenza and covid vaccines fall under the shared decision umbrella, RSV is only recommended for high-risk infants and meningococcal is for high-risk groups. She talks about what her role is most important when it comes to these kinds of changes stemming from the CDC.

“From a public health standpoint, the primary concern is confusion and mixed messaging. When recommendations change are perceived as less clear, it can impact confidence and decision making. Lower vaccination rates increase the risk of outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases and our focus remains on helping families understand the information and the importance of protecting children and their community.” 

Click here for more from the US Department of Health and Human Services about these changes and what is now being recommended.