President Donald J. Trump has initiated a significant overhaul of the United States’ childhood vaccination policies, signing a presidential memorandum on December 5, 2025, to align core recommendations with best practices from peer developed countries. This directive comes amid growing concerns over what the administration views as an overly aggressive U.S. vaccine schedule, which currently mandates immunizations against 18 diseases, including COVID-19, for all children.
The memorandum instructs Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director to thoroughly review international standards and the underlying scientific evidence. If foreign practices—such as those in Denmark (10 diseases), Japan (14), or Germany (15)—are deemed superior, U.S. guidelines will be updated accordingly, while ensuring continued access to existing vaccines. Notable differences include the U.S. routine hepatitis B shot for newborns, which is not standard in most developed nations unless the mother tests positive, and annual flu vaccines starting at six months, often not universally recommended elsewhere.
This move aligns with Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda, launched earlier in 2025 with an executive order establishing a commission to probe childhood chronic diseases. The administration has already ended blanket COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children, shifting to individualized clinical decisions. In September, the MAHA Commission unveiled a strategy with over 120 initiatives to combat what it calls a “childhood chronic disease epidemic.”
Trump hailed the initiative on social media, stating, “I am fully confident Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the CDC, will get this done, quickly and correctly, for our Nation’s Children.” Kennedy, responded enthusiastically, posting, “Thank you, Mr. President. We’re on it.”
As the review unfolds, experts anticipate potential reductions in recommended shots, marking a pivotal shift in U.S. public health strategy under Trump’s second term. The memorandum underscores a commitment to “the best, scientifically-supported medical advice in the world,” but its outcomes could reshape vaccination norms for generations.