US Scales Back Routine Childhood Vaccines in Major Policy Shift

The Trump administration on Monday announced a sweeping overhaul of the United States’ childhood immunisation schedule, reversing long-standing, science-based recommendations that had guided routine vaccinations for decades.

Under the new policy, the US will no longer advise that all children routinely receive vaccines against several diseases, including rotavirus and influenza. The change was announced by the Department of Health, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time critic of vaccine policy.

Instead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will now recommend vaccines for rotavirus, influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and meningococcal disease only for select high-risk groups or when parents and a child’s doctor agree they are necessary, rather than as standard practice for all children. The CDC had already adopted a similar approach for Covid-19 vaccines in 2025.

At the end of 2024, the CDC recommended 17 routine childhood immunisations. That number has now been reduced to 11.

President Donald Trump welcomed the shift, saying the changes reflected the wishes of supporters he described as “MAHA Moms,” adding that they “have been praying for these common sense reforms for many years.” His comments followed a Truth Social post that included claims about vaccines that contradict established scientific consensus.

The decision followed a directive from Trump last month instructing health officials to compare the US vaccine schedule with those of other developed countries, particularly Denmark. The revised US recommendations now more closely resemble Denmark’s approach.

“After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the US childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent,” Kennedy said. “This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”

However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from medical and public health experts.

Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, said, “The US child vaccine schedule is one of the most thoroughly researched tools we have to protect children from serious, sometimes deadly diseases.”

He warned 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 from the Vaccine Integrity Project at the University of Minnesota also rejected the comparison with Denmark, noting that the US was already aligned with global standards.

“Denmark’s schedule reflects a set of choices made in a small, highly homogeneous country with a centralized health care system… Those conditions do not apply to the United States, not even close,” the group said.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor whose vote helped confirm Kennedy as health secretary, also criticised the move, warning that “changing the pediatric vaccine schedule based on no scientific input on safety risks and little transparency will cause unnecessary fear for patients and doctors.” He added that it would “make America sicker.”

While states retain the authority to mandate vaccines, CDC recommendations strongly influence state policies. Federal officials stressed that insurance coverage would not change.

“All vaccines currently recommended by CDC will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing,” said Mehmet Oz, administrator of federal health insurance programmes. “No family will lose access.”

Nevertheless, public health leaders cautioned that the policy shift could fuel confusion and deepen vaccine skepticism.

O’Leary said the changes “just make things more confusing for parents and clinicians,” adding that “tragically, our federal government can no longer be trusted” to provide clear vaccine guidance.

Opinion Nigeria News