US health officials appear to shy away from anti-vaccine talk ahead of midterms

US health officials are avoiding public statements against vaccines ahead of November's midterm elections, despite having made significant cuts to childhood immunization recommendations over the past year. The Trump administration's pollsters have advised steering away from anti-vaccine messaging, which internal polling shows is a political liability with voters. Health officials reduced one-third of the US childhood vaccine schedule—including hepatitis B immunization at birth—but have stopped publicly defending these changes after a federal judge invalidated them. The reluctance to champion vaccine policy shifts suggests political calculation is influencing how federal health agencies communicate about immunizations during an election year. The disconnect between the dramatic policy changes implemented and the silence around them raises questions about whether health decisions are being shaped by campaign strategy rather than public health science.