State’s Chief Medical Executive makes Standing Recommendation regarding children’s vaccines

LANSING, Mich. - Michigan's Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian has issued a Standing Recommendation regarding children's vaccines, advising health care providers and families to follow the child and adolescent immunization schedule produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) or the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

"Public health experts across the country, including myself, are not in agreement with recent federal vaccine recommendations," said Bagdasarian. "For decades, vaccines have played a critical role in the prevention and control of infectious diseases and have led to the elimination of several diseases and significant reductions in illnesses and fatalities. As the state's chief medical executive, it is my duty to protect and promote public health, and I find the vaccine schedule recommendations produced by the AAP and AAFP well-evidenced and based on rigorous review. This Standing Recommendation will help encourage vaccine accessibility and availability in Michigan."

Bagdasarian made the Standing Recommendation in consultation with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Division of Immunization. The recommendation should not supersede clinical judgement in decision making with individual patients. Families should consult with their health care providers if they have questions.

While Michigan has previously looked to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for vaccine recommendations, ACIP is an advisory body that Michigan is not bound to follow. Michigan is one of more than a dozen states that also includes New York, Pennsylvania, Maine and California that now refers to immunization schedules from the AAP and other national medical organizations, including AAFP and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), as the standards of care for immunization practices. In October, the Michigan Advisory Committee on Immunizations approved a resolution endorsing adoption of these immunization schedules.

In her recommendation, Bagdasarian stated, "Employing these schedules will contribute to the advancement of the health of Michigan's residents and prevent severe, potentially fatal, negative outcomes. I encourage health care providers, health care systems and health care payers to limit barriers to vaccine access where possible."

Key medical experts from the Michigan Children's Hospital Collaborative (CHC) and the Michigan chapters of the AAP (MIAAP) and the Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) agree.

"The MAFP strongly supports MDHHS and chief medical executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian's guidance advising physicians, members of the clinical care team and families to follow the AAP, ACOG and AAFP's recommended immunization schedules, including universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth," said Dr. Bashar Yalldo, MD, FAAFP, MAFP president. "Routine childhood immunizations, including the hepatitis B birth dose, are supported by decades of real-world data and an exceptional safety record. The MAFP encourages parents to follow evidence-based medical guidance and to speak with their family physician about protecting their newborns, families and communities."

"The MIAPP affirms its strong support for MDHHS and its continued commitment to evidence-based public health policy. We commend MDHHS for upholding the AAP's longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, a proven and essential measure to prevent severe illness and long-term complications," said Dr. Joseph Fakhoury, MD, FAAP, MIAPP president. "Recent national discussions have generated questions and concern, yet no new evidence justifies weakening this critical protection for infants. Michigan's public health leaders have remained focused on what is clear and well established: newborn hepatitis B vaccination saves lives. MIAAP stands firmly with MDHHS and with pediatricians statewide as we provide families with consistent, science-driven guidance. Our shared priority remains the same: ensuring the health, safety and well-being of every child in Michigan."

In a statement, CHC clinical leaders Dr. Matthew Denenberg, chief of pediatrics at Corewell Health Children's; Dr. Kim Monroe, chief clinical officer at Mott Children's Hospital; Dr. Robert Fitzgerald, president of Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital; Dr. Marcus DeGraw, chair of pediatrics at Henry Ford St. John Children's Hospital; Dr. Mike Fiore, medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Covenant Hospital; Dr. Uzma Shah, system chair of pediatrics at Henry Ford Health System; and Dr. Jacques Burgess, system pediatric medical director at Munson Health, expressed strong support:

"As pediatric physicians, we know too well the devastating effects hepatitis B, pertussis, measles and other vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) can have on babies and young children. We consult with families each day who are navigating complex medical systems and making incredibly difficult decisions for their children. So, when it comes to advising these families, we must equip them with assurance and guidance rooted in the most rigorous and up-to-date scientific evidence. This is why, as clinical leaders in Michigan's Children's Hospital Collaborative, we strongly support Dr. Bagdasarian's Standing Recommendation, advising our state's health care providers to refer to the AAP's child and adolescent immunization schedule when caring for infants and children. By following the AAP's schedule, Michigan providers will be able to confidently administer safe and effective vaccines. This will help protect infants and children from VPDs, keep our most vulnerable little ones out of the NICUs and emergency departments, and ultimately, save more children's and infant's lives - and there is nothing of greater importance."

For more information, visit the Immunization Recommendations for Michigan webpage.