Canada must hold the line on science as the U.S. guts its childhood vaccine schedule

The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) is deeply concerned by recent changes to the childhood immunization schedule in the United States. For decades, routine childhood vaccines have been among the most rigorously studied and carefully monitored public health interventions, with overwhelming evidence demonstrating their safety, effectiveness, and essential role in preventing serious illness and death.

Decisions that weaken or undermine evidence-based immunization programs risk consequences that extend well beyond national borders. In Canada, health professionals are already warning that highly publicized changes to U.S. recommendations may fuel vaccine hesitancy, erode public confidence, and complicate efforts to protect children and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. In a context marked by growing polarization and the rapid spread of misinformation, signals that science is being sidelined—particularly in a neighbouring country—can have a disproportionate and lasting impact on public trust.

CPHA underscores that countering mis- and disinformation about vaccines requires dedicated, sustained resources. This work cannot be treated as a secondary communications function. It demands intentional investment in trusted public health voices, community-based engagement, monitoring of emerging mis- and disinformation narratives, and timely, evidence-informed public communication. Without these resources, Canada risks reversing decades of progress in vaccine confidence and coverage.

Canada’s immunization programs must continue to be guided by independent scientific evidence, transparent decision-making, and strong public health expertise. This requires sustained—and strengthened—investment in the institutions that protect population health, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Any move to reduce capacity, constrain research funding, or weaken federal public health leadership runs counter to the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and undermines Canada’s ability to respond to current and emerging health threats.

CPHA calls on the Government of Canada to hold the line on science by unequivocally reaffirming its commitment to evidence-informed public health policy, protecting and strengthening federal public health and research institutions, and investing in the systems that sustain vaccine confidence, surveillance, and equitable access to immunization.

Independent, well-resourced public health institutions—supported by targeted investments to confront mis- and disinformation—are not optional. They are essential to protecting children’s health, maintaining public trust, and ensuring that science, not ideology, continues to guide decisions that affect people in Canada today and for generations to come.