DENVER – A federal executive order recommends changes to the childhood immunization schedule that would put the health of Colorado children at risk. The new guidance recommends that children be routinely vaccinated against fewer diseases; splits up the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; and spaces immunizations over a longer period of time.
“Vaccines are one of the safest and most effective tools we have to keep children healthy,“ said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “This executive order creates confusion and new barriers to health – especially for parents juggling work and child care, families who live in rural areas, and others who already struggle to get to the doctor’s office or afford the cost of care. Colorado’s state leaders, providers, public health professionals, and families must work together to protect access to the vaccines that keep our kids safe.”
“These recommendations raise serious concerns,” said Dr. Edwin Asturias, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz and a member of the board of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “Delaying or further spacing vaccines means delaying protection during infancy and early childhood – the years when children may be most vulnerable to serious complications from vaccine-preventable diseases. And advising families to split the MMR vaccine is not currently a practical alternative because no separate, single-antigen measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines are approved and available for use in the United States.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) immunization schedule is grounded in the strongest available scientific evidence and decades of real-world experience. It is carefully designed around when vaccines are safest and most effective and when children need protection most. Decades of evidence and monitoring have demonstrated that this approach safely protects children from serious and potentially life-threatening infections. Colorado state law supports a vaccine schedule that is built on this strong scientific research.
Changing this evidence-based schedule would require families to make more visits to get the same level of protection while eliminating or delaying key vaccines. The result would be unnecessary barriers for families, longer periods when infants and children remain susceptible to preventable infections, and an increased risk of disease and outbreak in our communities.
The Colorado Children’s Campaign encourages families to rely on the guidance of their health care providers and organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics. We will work alongside families, providers, and policymakers to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up healthy.
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About the Colorado Children’s Campaign: At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well‑being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K‑12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long‑term impact. For more information, please visit ColoradoKids.org.