President Donald Trump has directed federal health agencies to review and potentially overhaul the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule, aiming to bring it in line with peer nations that recommend fewer vaccines for children. In a memorandum issued Friday, Trump tasked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and acting CDC Director Jim O’Neil with conducting a full evaluation of vaccine practices in developed countries.
The directive highlights that the United States currently recommends vaccines for 18 diseases for children under 18 — the highest number among developed nations. By comparison, Germany recommends 15, Japan 14, and Denmark only 10. The memo describes the U.S. as a “high outlier,” raising questions about the necessity and scientific justification of the expansive schedule.
Trump’s order states that if Kennedy and O’Neil determine that vaccine schedules in countries like Japan, Denmark, and Germany are superior based on scientific evidence, they are to update the U.S. schedule accordingly. However, the memo ensures continued access to currently available vaccines for families who still wish to follow the existing recommendations.
The review marks a sharp pivot away from past policies. The U.S. schedule has long included 72 recommended vaccine doses for children, far more than in other developed nations. Critics, including medical freedom advocates and concerned parents, have questioned the volume and timing of these doses, particularly in light of increasing health concerns and developmental disorders.
President Trump also praised a recent decision by the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee to end the routine recommendation of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. In a post on Truth Social, he noted that hepatitis B is primarily transmitted through sexual contact or intravenous drug use — risks that do not apply to the majority of infants.
“The American Childhood Vaccine Schedule long required 72 ‘jabs,’ for perfectly healthy babies, far more than any other Country in the World, and far more than is necessary,” Trump wrote.
The announcement signals a major potential shift in U.S. public health policy, emphasizing evidence-based practices and alignment with international norms over rigid bureaucratic mandates.
