U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently stated that it "may be a 'better thing'" if fewer children receive the flu vaccine, a declaration made amidst significant changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) childhood immunization schedule. In an interview with CBS News, Kennedy defended the Trump administration's decision to reclassify several previously universally recommended vaccines, including the flu shot, under a 'shared clinical decision-making' category, requiring consultation between doctors and parents. This move effectively scales back the CDC's long-standing recommendation for everyone aged 6 months and older to receive an annual flu vaccine. Kennedy supported his position by citing a Cochrane Collaboration review, claiming it found "no scientific evidence that the flu vaccine prevents serious illness, hospitalizations or death in children." However, this assertion is widely disputed by numerous medical experts and organizations. Countering Kennedy's claims, CBS News highlighted that CDC data indicates approximately 90% of children who died from the flu in 2024 were not vaccinated. Furthermore, the medical community emphasizes that the flu vaccine significantly reduces a child's risk of severe illness, intensive care unit stays, and death. Critics argue that the administration's policy changes, implemented without the traditional scientific review process, are not evidence-based and could lead to an increase in preventable diseases and deaths among children. Over 70 scientific and medical organizations have collectively urged federal health leaders to uphold transparent, evidence-based immunization policies.