Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined 15 states in a lawsuit to block President Donald Trump administration’s overhaul of the nation’s childhood immunization schedule, according to a Feb. 24 press release.
The complaint named Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Jay Bhattacharya as defendants, according to a press release.
The lawsuit was prompted by a “decision memo” from the CDC that reduced the amount of recommended childhood vaccines from 17 years old to 11, according to NPR.
According to the decision memo, the CDC no longer recommends the vaccines that protect against rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus.
Tong criticized Kennedy for his lack of medical expertise in the press release.
“Vaccines save lives,” Tong wrote in the press release. “Trump and RFK Jr. are risking children’s lives. RFK Jr. is not a doctor. He is not a scientist. His friends are not any more knowledgeable or qualified.”
The press release states that for children born in the U.S. from 1994 to 2023, researchers estimate that regular childhood vaccinations prevented roughly 508 million cases of illnesses, 32 million hospitalizations and over 1.1 million deaths.
“We are suing today to protect lives, and to make sure that our nation’s powerful public health guidance follows the law and reflects the facts,” Tong said.
According to NBC News, the CDC’s updates on the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule was effective immediately and will more closely resemble Denmark’s vaccination schedule.
“For generations, these vaccinations have successfully limited the spread of contagious diseases, diminished their impacts, and kept the public safe and healthy,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said. “There is no legitimate medical rationale for changing this … Medical decisions need to be determined by science, not conspiracy theories.”
Connecticut is joined in the lawsuit by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and attorneys general from Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.