Federal health officials announced a revised childhood vaccine schedule that reduces the number of vaccines broadly recommended for children, following a review ordered by President Donald Trump and consultations with international health experts.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Federal health officials on Jan. 5 announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will significantly narrow the list of vaccines it broadly recommends for children, a move stemming from a review ordered by President Donald Trump and modeled in part on vaccination practices in other developed nations.
Under the revised guidance, the CDC will issue universal recommendations for eight childhood vaccines, down from 14 previously. The decision follows a December 2025 directive from Trump instructing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill to examine whether the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule should be updated after comparisons with countries such as Denmark, Germany, and Japan, which recommend fewer vaccines and doses.
“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” Kennedy said in a statement. He said the administration’s review concluded that aligning U.S. policy more closely with international practices could help restore trust in public health while maintaining access to vaccines.
As part of the update, the CDC will no longer broadly recommend vaccines against influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A, and meningococcal disease for all children. The agency had already narrowed recommendations for hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccines in 2025, based on advice from newly selected advisers. The CDC will continue recommending that infants whose mothers did not receive a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine receive passive immunization against RSV.
The changes were informed by recommendations from Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, acting director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff, whom Kennedy appointed as a senior adviser in 2025. In a 34-page assessment comparing U.S. vaccination practices with those of other countries, Hoeg and Kulldorff argued that revisions were needed due to declining public trust, lower vaccination rates, and evidence that some vaccines offer limited benefit when recommended universally. That assessment can be reviewed here.
A CDC official said the agency consulted health authorities in Denmark, Germany, and Japan, as well as scientists at the CDC and FDA, during the review process. Vaccine manufacturers were not consulted, officials said.
Administration officials emphasized that the revised guidance does not prevent children from receiving vaccines. All vaccines will remain available, and insurers will continue to cover them without cost-sharing under the Affordable Care Act. Some vaccines removed from universal recommendation will still be advised for specific populations, while others will fall under shared clinical decision-making between families and physicians.
The CDC will continue broad recommendations for vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal disease, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and human papillomavirus. The updated schedule also reduces the recommended number of HPV doses from two to one, citing recent research indicating a single dose provides comparable protection.
“Important vaccines will continue to be recommended for our children,” a Department of Health and Human Services official said during a briefing call.
The changes drew criticism from pediatric advocacy groups. The American Academy of Pediatrics said the decision risks creating confusion and undermining confidence in immunizations. In a statement, the group’s president said the rollback of universal recommendations was “no way to make our country healthier,” arguing that families and doctors need clearer guidance, not less.
Other physicians welcomed the shift. Dr. Joel Warsh, a California pediatrician, said the move reflects a more nuanced approach to vaccination policy, noting that reducing universal recommendations does not equate to banning vaccines but rather acknowledges that risk-benefit profiles can differ among children.
The prior CDC childhood vaccine schedule can be viewed here, while the newly adopted schedule is available here.
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