US Reduces Vaccine Recommendations for Children: A Controversial Overhaul

Wed Jan 07 2026 18:55:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The U.S. government has officially cut down its vaccine recommendations for children, allowing parents to choose vaccinations like flu shots without clear federal guidance. The implications of this unprecedented decision have raised concerns among health officials and experts.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revised its vaccination recommendations, reducing the number of required vaccines for children. While officials claim this change will not affect insurance access for families, medical experts warn it may lead to decreased vaccination rates and increased disease prevalence. This overhaul follows a request from President Trump to align U.S. vaccine practices with those of peer nations. Critics argue that the lack of public discussion and data transparency in this decision could have dire consequences for child health.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. took the unprecedented step on Monday of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child, leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose without clear guidance.

Officials stated that this overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule will not result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines. However, medical experts criticized the change, indicating it could lead to reduced uptake of essential vaccinations and ultimately increase disease prevalence.

This pivotal decision followed a request from President Donald Trump in December for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review how peer nations manage vaccine recommendations and contemplate realigning its guidance accordingly.

The HHS's review of 20 peer nations revealed that the U.S. was an outlier in terms of the number of vaccinations and doses recommended for children. Officials characterized the change as an effort to enhance public trust by advising only the most vital vaccinations for children.

This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health, stated Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday.

However, medical experts are concerned that the alteration was made without public discussion or a thorough review of data. Michael Osterholm of the Vaccine Integrity Project at the University of Minnesota articulated that abandoning recommendations for well-established vaccines, such as those for influenza, hepatitis, and rotavirus, could lead to increased hospitalizations and preventable deaths among American children.