The health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is accusing the American Academy of Pediatrics of a pay-to-play scheme involving the pharmaceutical industry over its new childhood vaccine schedule.

The doctors group on Tuesday released what it calls an “evidence-based” immunization schedule for children and adolescents. It includes formal recommendations for dealing with 18 diseases including updated guidance for influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 immunizations.

The schedule includes Covid vaccines for babies aged 6 months to 23 months. The academy’s list differs from recent recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The CDC’s vaccine board was handpicked by Mr. Kennedy and was tasked with evaluating the number of vaccines children receive, the cumulative amounts of vaccine ingredients, and the relative timing of different vaccines.

The academy says Mr. Kennedy’s new committee members have a history of spreading vaccine misinformation.

After the academy released its new recommendations, Mr. Kennedy posted a screenshot from the organization’s website showing that its largest donors are pharmaceutical companies including Merck, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sanofi.

“These four companies make virtually every vaccine on the CDC recommended childhood vaccine schedule,” Mr. Kennedy said on X.

“AAP is angry that CDC has eliminated corporate influence in decisions over vaccine recommendations and returned CDC to gold-standard science and evidence-based medicine laser-focused on children’s health,” Mr. Kennedy went on to say.

Mr. Kennedy said that the academy needs to disclose what he considers conflicts of interest regarding its recommendations so that Americans “may ask whether the AAP’s recommendations reflect public health interest, or are, perhaps, just a pay-to-play scheme to promote commercial ambitions of AAP’s Big Pharma benefactors.”

Mr. Kennedy also warned that recommendations that diverge from the CDC’s official list are not shielded from liability under the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act.

The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Susan J. Kressly, responded to Mr. Kennedy’s attack in an email message to The New York Sun.

“This attack on the integrity of pediatricians is unfortunate, but it does not change the facts,” Dr. Kressly said.​ “For nearly a century, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ mission has focused on ​one thing: following the science to best protect children’s health.”

Dr. Kressly says the immunization recommendations are rooted in decades of peer-reviewed science. “We are transparent about our funders​, follow rigorous conflict-of-interest disclosures, and maintain safeguards to ensure the integrity and independence of our guidance,” she went on to say.

The academy is asking insurers to cover all of the vaccines on its recommendation list. Insurers traditionally use the CDC vaccine panel’s list to decide with shots to cover. That could leave parents on the hook for the cost of some vaccinations.

“AAP is committed to working with our partners at the local, state and federal levels to make sure every child, in every community has access to vaccines,” Dr. Kressly said. She said the group would welcome an opportunity to sit down with Mr. Kennedy to review its recommendations.