New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar sharply criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s newly issued pediatric vaccine guidelines, calling them a departure from science-based medical practice.

“The CDC’s reckless rollback of pediatric vaccine guidelines is a betrayal of our children and the practice of medicine, driven by ideology over evidence,” Rajkumar said in response to the updated guidance.

Emphasizing the urgency of legislative action, the Assemblywoman highlighted the need to pass the Robert F. Kennedy Sr. Vaccine Access Act, reiterating in a statement that “Science saves lives.”

Rajkumar warned that when politics overrides established vaccine recommendations, the consequences can be deadly. Drawing on her background in a family of physicians, she said these safeguards were developed over decades of “data, transparent review, and the hard-earned lessons of preventable tragedy,” and that dismantling them risks undoing generations of public health progress.

“This is not leadership—it’s a circus that replaces peer-reviewed medicine with conspiracy and chaos, putting kids in harm’s way,” she said, stressing that New York would not adopt policies that allow flu, hepatitis, RSV, or meningitis to spread unchecked in deference to anti-science activism.

Explaining her legislative response, Rajkumar added, “That is why l introduced the Robert F. Kennedy, Sr. Vaccine Access Act (A9077), which will promote evidence-based science and eliminate CDC guidelines from all laws and policies so that New York is always guided by the beacon of truth.”

The Assemblywoman underscored the broader public health mission of the bill, stating, “Together, we will protect our children’s health, defend medically recommended care, and honor the legacy of true leaders like Robert F. Kennedy, Sr., who believed government’s job is to protect life, not gamble with it.”

Through a Presidential Memorandum issued on December 5, President Donald Trump directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to examine how peer developed nations structure their childhood vaccination schedules and to evaluate the scientific evidence underlying those practices. 

The President instructed officials to update the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule if superior approaches exist abroad, while preserving access to vaccines currently available to Americans, according to a CDC statement issued on January 5.

The CDC stated that after consulting with health ministries in peer nations, considering the findings of the assessment, and reviewing a decision memorandum presented by National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Acting Director O’Neill formally accepted the recommendations and directed the agency to proceed with implementation.

“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”

“After reviewing the evidence, I signed a decision memorandum accepting the assessment’s recommendations,” Jim O’Neill said. “The data support a more focused schedule that protects children from the most serious infectious diseases while improving clarity, adherence, and public confidence.”

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