The Donald Trump administration on Monday unveiled a major overhaul of the United States’ pediatric vaccine schedule, upending long-standing, science-backed recommendations that have historically helped prevent serious childhood illnesses.
Under the new guidance, the US will no longer automatically recommend that every child receive vaccines for certain diseases, including rotavirus and influenza.
Instead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will advise these shots, along with vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and meningococcal disease, only for high-risk groups or at the discretion of parents and a child’s doctor.
This approach mirrors the CDC’s 2025 policy for Covid-19 vaccinations. Previously, at the end of 2024, the CDC recommended 17 routine pediatric immunizations; that number has now dropped to 11.
President Donald Trump hailed the changes, noting that the “MAHA Moms”, a group of online influencers supporting Kennedy’s agenda, “have been praying for these common sense reforms for many years.” Trump’s statement on TruthSocial, however, included several false claims about vaccine safety and guidance that contradict established science.
The decision comes after Trump instructed health officials last month to review how the US pediatric vaccine schedule compares with those of other countries, particularly Denmark.
The revised US schedule now more closely resembles Denmark’s.
“After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the US childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the US health department and a longtime vaccine skeptic.
The overhaul has drawn sharp criticism from medical and public health experts. Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, warned, “the US child vaccine schedule is one of the most thoroughly researched tools we have to protect children from serious, sometimes deadly diseases.” He added, “It’s so important that any decision about the US childhood vaccination schedule should be grounded in evidence, transparency and established scientific processes, not comparisons that overlook critical differences between countries or health systems.”
Experts at the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota, also raised concerns, noting that the US pediatric vaccine schedule was already broadly aligned with global norms. They described Denmark’s approach as an outlier among “peer countries.”
“Denmark’s schedule reflects a set of choices made in a small, highly homogeneous country with a centralized health care system that guarantees universal access to care, low baseline disease prevalence, and strong social infrastructure,” the group explained. “Those conditions do not apply to the United States, not even close.”
Senator Bill Cassidy, whose decisive vote confirmed Kennedy’s controversial appointment last year, criticized the change, saying, “changing the pediatric vaccine schedule based on no scientific input on safety risks and little transparency will cause unnecessary fear for patients and doctors.” Cassidy, a physician, warned that the shift “will make America sicker.”
Although states can mandate vaccines independently, CDC recommendations heavily influence state policies. Federal officials have assured that vaccines will remain accessible and covered by insurance, even those no longer broadly recommended.
“All vaccines currently recommended by CDC will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing,” said Mehmet Oz, administrator of federal health insurance programs. “No family will lose access. This framework empowers parents and physicians to make individualized decisions based on risk, while maintaining strong protection against serious disease.”
Yet public health authorities caution that the changes could heighten confusion and distrust, particularly in a period marked by rising vaccine skepticism. O’Leary noted, “just makes things more confusing for parents and clinicians,” adding, “Tragically, our federal government can no longer be trusted” on vaccine guidance.
