Trump hails CDC decision to drop 6 childhood shot recommendations: ‘Common sense’

WASHINGTON — President Trump praised the “common sense” announcement by federal health officials Monday to stop recommending childhood vaccination for six illnesses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer recommending that all kids receive vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, rotavirus, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The CDC still recommends shots for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, whooping cough, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and chickenpox.

“Today, the Trump Administration is proud to announce the United States of America’s updated Childhood Vaccination Schedule. This Schedule is rooted in the Gold Standard of Science, and widely agreed upon by Scientists and Experts all over the World,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Effective today, America will no longer require 72 ‘jabs’ for our beautiful, healthy children. We are moving to a far more reasonable Schedule, where all children will only be recommended to receive Vaccinations for 11 of the most serious and dangerous diseases.”

Trump added: “Parents can still choose to give their children all of the Vaccinations, if they wish, and they will still be covered by insurance. However, this updated Schedule finally aligns the United States with other Developed Nations around the World… Many Americans, especially the ‘MAHA Moms,’ have been praying for these COMMON SENSE reforms for many years.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has suggested a link between childhood vaccines and autism, celebrated the move by his department.

“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” Kennedy said. 

“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. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”

The CDC said that a one-month assessment, ordered by Trump on Dec. 5, reviewed policies in 20 other “peer” developed countries and “found that the U.S. is a global outlier among developed nations in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine childhood vaccination schedule and the total number of recommended doses but does not have higher vaccination rates than such countries.”

The health agency said that “in 2024, the U.S. recommended more childhood vaccines than any peer nation, and more than twice as many doses as some European nations. At the lower end is Denmark, which immunizes children against 10 diseases compared to a total number of 18 diseases for which protection was provided in 2024 in the U.S.”

The decision was met with immediate criticism.

“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,” Dr. Helen Chu, an immunologist at the University of Washington and a former member of the vaccine advisory committee, told the New York Times.

“Robert Kennedy is hellbent on continuing his anti-vaccine crusade, making America sicker and endangering children and other vulnerable people,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The Maryland Department of Health, meanwhile, said it would continue to recommend vaccines despite the federal change, putting out a press release saying: “Our childhood vaccine schedule will continue to follow the guidance of the American Academy of Pediatrics, last updated Nov. 21, 2025, which is based on decades of science and evidence-based recommendations.”