This post was updated Feb. 6 at 7:13 p.m.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has changed the childhood vaccine schedule. That does not mean that you should change yours.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released an updated vaccine schedule for children in January that cuts the number of vaccines they receive by one-third.

Vaccines being nixed include those that address hepatitis A, hepatitis B and rotavirus, according to NPR. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report indicates childhood vaccines have prevented more than one million deaths between 1994 and 2023.

This change, sent out by the CDC, goes against the general recommendations of public health experts, according to the New York Times. While children can still receive these vaccines with parent and doctor permission, they will no longer be required.

This new schedule will immediately impact the children in the process of getting vaccinated. However, UCLA students must keep up with all their vaccines to protect against diseases from others in the future. Moreover, UCLA must maintain stringent vaccine requirements for the next generation of students.

This shift is astounding considering how important vaccines have been in protecting public health, said Burton Cowgill, an associate professor in residence at the Fielding School of Public Health.

“When you look at major milestones and accomplishments of public health over the last century or so, immunizations has always been at the top of that list,” Cowgill said. “We have been able to, for the most part, eradicate a number of diseases that cause significant morbidity and mortality – not only amongst children but amongst adults.”

The first people at risk by an altered vaccine schedule will be young children. Schools may experience increased probabilities of outbreaks, including for diseases such as the measles, according to Shira Shafir, a professor in the Departments of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology.

If fewer young children are getting vaccinated, being vaccinated is even more of a necessity for a campus as large as UCLA. According to the American College Health Association, germs thrive in quintessential college conditions: high-density housing, dining halls, frequent travel and more.

Meningitis – a disease commonly contracted in colleges – was a vaccine taken off the schedule.

“Contracting meningitis is very rare, but if contracted, it can be fatal and/or can cause lifelong disabilities,” Cowgill said. “If we see over time a reduction in the population that are protected from these conditions, then it’s more likely they could be spread even amongst college students.”

Given Kennedy’s track record of opposing vaccines despite contrary evidence, the future of public health in America looks bleak.

But there is hope for keeping Californians safe through state policy on vaccines.

While the vaccine schedule has changed at the federal level with the CDC, states are able to make their own vaccine schedules and policies. Some states, such as Florida, have sought to roll back vaccine requirements further. Conversely, other states such as California will maintain a strict schedule.

Shafir said there are strong, evidence-backed recommendations coming from the California and Los Angeles Departments of Public Health. She added that turning to those organizations can help people make informed decisons to protect their health.

“I think it’s a really challenging time,” Shafir said. “Many of the sources that we have traditionally gone to for evidence-based information to help guide our decisions are deeply politically biased and no longer necessarily trustworthy.”

Additionally, the UC has committed to standing by the California Department of Public Health and hopes all its campuses will do the same, said UC spokesperson Heather Harper in an emailed statement.

“The University of California strongly recommends that all members of the University community follow vaccine recommendations adopted by California Department of Public Health,” Harper said in the statement.

That notion offers a glimmer of hope. As uncertainty about public health plagues the national stage, UC students should be grateful that our public school system is not succumbing to federal changes.

One of the wonderful things about attending a research institution is that it tends to have an abiding respect for evidence.

No matter what federal mandates are thrown their way, UCLA must stand by its promise of protecting public health for its students. While they do so, it is necessary for students to stay up to date with their own vaccinations to keep our peers safe.

Reduced vaccination schedules have the potential to upend America’s thinly stretched healthcare system and harm the safety of our most vulnerable populations. UCLA administrators, faculty and students must do their part to protect our community and hope that our proactivity makes waves beyond our campus.