The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is pushing back against updates made this week to the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC on Monday updated its guidelines, reducing the number of routine vaccines recommended for children. On Tuesday, Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian issued a statement advising healthcare providers to follow the schedule produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics, essentially disregarding the new CDC recommendations. Bagdasarian tells us there hasn’t been a good reason for any changes to be made to the childhood vaccination schedule.

“Because the evidence has not changed, we recommend that Michigan parents, that Michigan health care providers follow the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practice vaccine guidance, which is essentially what it was last year,” Bagdasarian said.

Bagdasarian says the new CDC schedule isn’t based on research.

“What we really saw here is a complete overhaul of the vaccine schedule. This was not a change to one vaccine. This did not go through any of the normal processes.”

Bagdasarian says this week’s news and changes to COVID vaccination recommendations last year have contributed a disturbing pattern on healthcare policy in Washington.

“I’m concerned that this will further erode the public’s trust in vaccines and in public health just in general. I think there’s already so much confusion. This is a topic that has been politicized unnecessarily. And so whatever confusion was already out there, this has really amplified that.”

The CDC recommendations made Tuesday reduce the number of routine vaccinations recommended for kids from 17 to 11. Vaccines — including those for rotavirus, hepatitis A, meningitis, and the flu  — are no longer on the list. Bagdasarian also calls the scaling back of the recommendations “tone deaf” at a time when flu infections are high and the measles are making a comeback.

“Just to see vaccine confidence be eroded in a year like this, when we’re already seeing a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, is really disheartening.”

Bagdasarian advises parents and doctors to follow the same guidelines recommended before the CDC took any action on Monday. She added MDHHS will continue to provide clear guidance, backed by science to help protect Michigan families.

You can find the department’s full statement from Tuesday right here.