The article reports that new CDC guidelines are backing away from routine childhood vaccination against meningococcal disease. The shift, infectious disease experts say, will increase the number of children and adolescents who will be at risk of rare but potentially fatal meningococcal infections. Although meningococcal diseases are rare, they can have a rapid course and serious consequences, including death. In the past, routine vaccination was a key tool for reducing the incidence of these diseases in the child and adolescent population. The CDC's new recommendations mean that vaccination will no longer be recommended by default for all children, but rather for select groups. Experts warn in the article that such a change can lead to a decline in collective immunity against meningococci. The article highlights that this is a disease that, while rare, has the potential to be devastating for affected patients and their families.