FDA quietly positions itself to disrupt childhood vaccine schedule

While CDC turmoil grabbed the media spotlight, a quieter but potentially more consequential drama unfolded last week at FDA. The agency has positioned itself to serve as the tip of the spear in the Trump administration’s fight to scale back vaccination by modifying the childhood immunization schedule.

Starting with COVID-19, FDA has claimed, without evidence, that administering vaccines against unrelated pathogens at the same time could blunt their efficacy. That stance could support long-standing aims of the anti-vaccine movement, including disruption of the childhood vaccination schedule by splitting apart components of well-established combination vaccines. The added burden and delay of separate shots could sharply reduce U.S. vaccination rates...