ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico has joined a multistate lawsuit against changes to childhood immunization schedules made by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, targets Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya and both HHS and the CDC. It claims they bypassed federal law and ignored scientific evidence by altering vaccine recommendations.
The complaint challenges a Jan. 5 CDC memo that removed seven vaccines from the recommended list. These vaccines include those for rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A and B, influenza, COVID-19 and RSV.
“For decades, our nation’s vaccine policies have been guided by rigorous science and medical expertise, helping eliminate diseases that once devastated families,” New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said. “By bypassing federal law and undermining established vaccine recommendations, this administration is putting children at unnecessary risk. Public health decisions must be driven by evidence — not ideology.”
The lawsuit also disputes the replacement of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The ACIP is the expert federal panel that has guided U.S. vaccine policy for decades.