Flu, COVID and norovirus cases rise as holiday gatherings wind down

In a major departure from past practice, the CDC is scaling back the number of recommended vaccines for children. The new schedule recommends that flu and COVID-19 vaccines only be given after consulting with a health care provider. It also narrows recommendations for hepatitis A and B, RSV, and bacterial meningitis to what it considers higher-risk groups. The decision aligns the U.S. more closely with Denmark and Japan, something that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long wanted. The new