Attorneys General Sue to Block Trump Administration's Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule

California and 14 other states file lawsuit challenging new CDC policy that strips seven vaccines of their recommended status

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes are co-leading a multistate lawsuit against the Trump Administration over changes made to the childhood immunization schedule. The lawsuit challenges a January 2026 decision by the CDC that stripped seven childhood vaccines of their universally recommended status, as well as the unlawful replacement of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The coalition of 14 attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania is asking the court to declare the new vaccine schedule and the new ACIP appointments unlawful.

Why it matters

The lawsuit argues that the Trump Administration's actions undermine confidence in vaccines, leading to lower vaccination rates and more infectious disease. It will also drive up costs for states, including increased Medicaid spending and new expenses to combat misinformation and revise public health guidance. Public health decisions must remain grounded in science and facts, not politics.

The details

The lawsuit challenges a January 2026 'Decision Memo' by the CDC that stripped seven childhood vaccines - those protecting against rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - of their universally recommended status. It also challenges Secretary Kennedy's unlawful replacement of the ACIP, the expert federal panel that has guided U.S. vaccine policy for decades. The coalition is asking the court to declare the new vaccine schedule and the new ACIP appointments unlawful, and to enjoin, vacate, and set aside both.

  • On December 5, 2025, the unlawfully appointed ACIP members voted 8 to 3 to reverse nearly 30 years of CDC policy recommending the hepatitis B vaccine be universally administered at birth.
  • Last month, then-Acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill signed off on the 'Decision Memo' that demoted seven vaccines from the universally recommended childhood vaccination schedule.

The players

Rob Bonta

The Attorney General of California who is co-leading the multistate lawsuit.

Kris Mayes

The Attorney General of Arizona who is co-leading the multistate lawsuit.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary who unlawfully replaced the members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Jay Bhattacharya

The Acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director.

Gavin Newsom

The Governor of California who announced the creation of the West Coast Health Alliance in response to the federal government's lack of science-based leadership.

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What they’re saying

“The Trump Administration's attacks on science are irresponsible and dangerous. Undermining confidence in vaccines will lead to lower vaccination rates and more infectious disease. It will also drive-up costs for states, including increased Medicaid spending and new expenses to combat misinformation and revise public health guidance.”

— Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California (Independent.com)

“California is going back to court because the Trump Administration is violating federal law and pushing a reckless, unscientific childhood vaccine schedule that puts kids' lives at risk. These changes ignore decades of medical evidence and will lead to outbreaks of diseases we've already beaten.”

— Gavin Newsom, Governor of California (Independent.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to grant the coalition's request to declare the new vaccine schedule and ACIP appointments unlawful and enjoin them.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the importance of basing public health decisions on scientific evidence and facts, not politics. The Trump Administration's actions undermine confidence in vaccines and put children's lives at risk, which will have significant public health and financial consequences for states.