From the New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is The Daily.

Earlier this week, the CDC released new guidelines which dramatically cut down the number of childhood vaccines recommended by the federal government.

Today, my colleagues Benjamin Mueller and Apurva Mandevili explain what's being cut,

how this fits into the overall agenda from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,

and the broader implications for public health.

Thank you. broader implications for public health. Ben Aporva, thank you both so much for being here today.

Glad to be here. Thanks so much for being here today. Glad to be here.

Thanks so much for having us.

So ever since Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was confirmed as the health secretary, there have been all kinds of questions about how he might seek to reshape public health policy, particularly as it relates to vaccines, which he has been openly skeptical about for years.

And this week, we saw some of the first major changes on that front.

And I want to talk about the changes, why he made them, the implications for public health.

But first, Apurva, can you just explain to us what vaccines were affected?

So before Monday, American children were supposed to routinely get vaccines for 17 diseases. And on Monday, Secretary Kennedy and his associates, the other health officials, said that that vaccine schedule for children would be pared down so that now routine recommendation includes vaccination against

11 diseases. And which six were taken off? So the six that are now being treated differently

are respiratory syncytisial virus, RSV, RISV, yes, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, menadineal

vaccines, which are really for meningitis, and influenza.

And I want to clarify here that when we say they were taken off, they are still on the

recommendations, they're just recommended differently. So in theory, these vaccines are still all

on the schedule, but they are now being recommended either for certain high-risk groups or if you don't fall into

one of those groups that you should consult with your doctor first before getting them.

So what it actually means in practice is that fewer people will get them.

More people will be confused.

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