• Posted January 6, 2026

U.S. Cuts Recommended Childhood Vaccines

Federal health officials have decided to narrow the list of vaccines routinely recommended for U.S. children, a move that has outraged public health experts.

The updated childhood immunization schedule —  released Monday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — pares the number of diseases prevented by shots from 17 to 11. The changes take effect immediately, according to federal officials.

Jim O’Neil, the CDC’s acting director, approved the revised schedule. 

The update marks a dramatic shift in childhood vaccine policy and aligns with long-held views of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has pushed to limit the number of vaccines given to children.

While states decide which vaccines are required for school attendance, CDC guidance plays a major role in shaping state laws nationwide.

Public health experts said the revisions ignore the long-standing process used to evaluate vaccines, which typically involves independent scientific review.

Dr. Andrew Racine, president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) called the move "dangerous and unnecessary."

“For decades, leading health experts, immunologists and pediatricians have carefully reviewed new data and evidence as part of the immunization recommendation process, helping to keep newborns, infants and children protected from diseases they could be exposed to in the United States as they develop and grow," he said in a statement.

"[Monday’s] decision, which was based on a brief review of other countries’ practices, upends this deliberate scientific process," Racine added.

Dr. Helen Chu, an immunologist at the University of Washington, criticized the change as dangerous.

“The abrupt change to the entire U.S. childhood vaccine schedule is alarming, unnecessary and will endanger the health of children in the United States,” she told The New York Times. 

Under the new schedule, vaccines for diseases such as measles, polio and whooping cough are still recommended for all children. But other vaccines now require a conversation with a health care provider before being given.

For example, shots for influenza, hepatitis A and rotavirus are no longer universally recommended. Immunization against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of infant hospitalizations, is now suggested only for certain high-risk kids.

Experts say these changes could confuse families.

“Already, parents are worried about what they are hearing in the news about safety of vaccines, and this will increase confusion and decrease vaccine uptake,” Chu said.

A former CDC official questioned how the decisions were made.

“Stealth announcements of seismic changes in vaccine policy should include experts in pediatrics, infectious diseases and immunology,” Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who until August led the CDC center that oversaw vaccine policy, told The Times. “These are lacking as is scientific process and a review of the data.”

The changes follow a December directive from President Donald Trump calling for the U.S. vaccine schedule to resemble those of other wealthy nations. He cited Germany, Japan and Denmark as examples.

“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.

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

Experts noted that the U.S. schedule already closely matched those in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany, with only minor differences.

Some legal experts have questioned whether Kennedy has the authority to make such massive changes without a formal review process.

Agencies are forbidden to act “arbitrarily and capriciously,” Richard Hughes IV, a lawyer who teaches vaccine law at George Washington University, told The Times. He is currently attempting to sue Kennedy and the health department over changes to COVID vaccine recommendations announced last year.

Officials said insurance coverage will not change.

“All vaccines currently recommended by CDC will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said. “No family will lose access.” 

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a childhood immunization schedule.

SOURCE: The New York Times, Jan. 5, 2026