In Focus: Federal Vaccine Changes, and Connecticut's Reaction
Part 3 of Capitol Dispatch's ongoing 'In Focus' series on Health Care
Should Connecticut parents and children be worried that the Trump administration has now changed the federal rules regarding childhood vaccines?
The short answer is “no,” because while the Trump administration is full of Republican vaccine deniers, Connecticut is led by Democrats who believe in the effectiveness of vaccines, and Connecticut is going to ignore the new Trump administration recommendations.
Connecticut’s strong stance against Trump and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is especially important, since the Trump administration has changed federal guidance on flu vaccines for children, and America is right now undergoing one of its worst flu seasons in decades, with 15 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 7,400 deaths so far this season.
It all started back in April 2023, when RFK Jr. – a well-known vaccine skeptic and a critic of Joe Biden’s successful COVID-19 response – announced his candidacy for president in 2024.
Then, 16 months later, and just three months before the election, RFK Jr. dropped out of the race and backed Donald Trump for president. Trump and Republicans rewarded RFK Jr. for his political support by nominating him as the new secretary of federal Health and Human Services.
What did Trump and RFK Jr. then do to America’s health care system?
Well, in the first 100 days, they “decimated” it, according to the American Public Health Association, noting that Trump and RFK Jr:
Issued executive orders eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion in federal health policies and agencies
Cut jobs and restructured HHS
Cancelled grants and closed programs
Removed public research and data from websites
Intentionally provided disinformation on science, especially with regards to the shocking, national measles outbreak that happened within days of Trump taking office
In December, RFK Jr. announced he was ending mandatory Hepatitis B vaccines for children – a move that Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, said is “playing with the lives of our children.” Connecticut will continue to mandate those vaccines, however.
Then, just last week, came another MAGA bomb: RFK Jr. announced that he was reducing the number of mandatory childhood vaccines from 11 to 7 – including making the Covid-19 and flu vaccines for children optional, only after a parent had consulted with their own doctor.
In response, Governor Ned Lamont said “there is no legitimate medical rationale for changing course now” and that Trump’s proposed changes will “endanger children.”
As with Hepatitis B, Connecticut has the right to set its own childhood vaccine schedule and will continue to recommend the flu vaccine for children.
America recorded its highest number of child flu deaths last year in a non-pandemic flu season.
As of December 13, 2025, 130.7 million doses of the flu vaccine have been distributed in the U.S., with 42.5% of children and 43.5% of adults being vaccinated. Connecticut, with a 50.8% overall flu vaccine rate, ranked 6th-best in the country.
However, seasonal vaccination rates have declined over the last few years in Connecticut. One million Connecticut residents were vaccinated against the flu as of December 2025, compared to 1,068,938 in the winter of 2024 – a 6% decrease of 67,000 people.
By Lawrence Cook
Check out our previous entries in Capitol Dispatch’s ongoing ‘In Focus’ series on Health Care:
-Part 1: More People Turning to ACA Plans as Republicans Force Premium Hikes
-Part 2: How Republican Medicaid Changes Are Hurting Connecticut Residents