Last month, US President Donald Trump said the country should “align with other developed nations” by reducing the number of doses given to children.
The United States has dropped its long-running guidance that all children should receive four vaccines — for flu, rotavirus, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A — and has asked parents to discuss them with doctors instead, Reuters reported.
The decision was approved by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Acting Director Jim O’Neill without the agency’s usual review by its independent vaccine advisory panel, according to Reuters. The guidance now refers to “shared clinical decision-making” between parents and healthcare providers.
Public health specialists told Reuters the change could increase the risk of preventable illness and hospital treatment among children.
The revision supports the efforts of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has pushed for reductions in the number of childhood vaccines.
Last month, US President Donald Trump said the country should “align with other developed nations” by reducing the number of doses given to children. He said the new schedule is “rooted in the Gold Standard of Science” and brings US policy closer to other countries.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump congratulated Kennedy and health officials on the change, writing: “Many Americans, especially the ‘MAHA Moms,’ have been praying for these common-sense reforms for many years. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Reuters reported.
Kennedy has previously led efforts to limit universal vaccine guidance for Covid-19 and hepatitis B, despite scientific research rejecting claims of links to autism.
AMERICAN CHILDREN AT RISK
Vaccine specialists told Reuters the decision could put children at risk. Dr Michael Osterholm, from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said there should have been open public discussion about the possible effects of removing the recommendations.
Dr Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said other countries have different disease patterns and different health systems.
“Any decision about the US childhood vaccination schedule should be grounded in evidence, transparency and established scientific processes,” he said, adding that comparisons with other nations may overlook key differences, according to Reuters.
IMMUNIZATION POLICY OF 20 NATIONS CONSIDERED
The US Department of Health and Human Services said two senior officials Martin Kulldorff and Tracy Beth Hoeg reviewed childhood vaccine schedules in 20 countries with universal healthcare before recommending changes to the US schedule. An HHS report said that risks vary by disease and by child.
Across the reviewed countries, the flu vaccine is universally recommended in four nations, while hepatitis A is universally recommended only in Greece. Rotavirus vaccines are widely recommended in most countries, and many recommend meningococcal shots, Reuters reported.
Dr Jesse Goodman, a professor at Georgetown University and former chief scientist at the US Food and Drug Administration, said each of the four vaccines prevents illnesses that previously led to hospital treatment and deaths in children.
According to CDC data cited by Reuters, flu vaccines can help prevent child deaths, with 288 paediatric deaths recorded in the 2024-25 flu season. Rotavirus, which causes diarrhoea and dehydration, once sent many children to hospital each year before vaccines reduced cases. Hepatitis A can damage the liver in severe cases, and meningococcal disease, although rare, can be fatal.
The updated schedule keeps routine vaccines for 11 diseases, including measles, mumps and chickenpox, while placing some others in high-risk or shared-decision categories, Reuters said. Health officials said insurance will continue to cover vaccines.
The new guidance also recommends a single HPV vaccine dose instead of two. The WHO supports a single-dose schedule, but vaccine maker Merck has said US approval currently remains for two doses, Reuters reported.
