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The US has narrowed the recommended number of childhood vaccines to 11 from 17 while emphasising that jabs will remain covered by health insurance.
Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr on Monday said the health department’s recommendation that only certain children receive vaccines for the flu, meningitis, Covid-19 and other diseases more closely aligns with schedules in Australia, Japan and Europe.
While no vaccines have been rejected by the government, jabs including those for polio and chickenpox will only be suggested for high-risk children or with advice from a doctor.
The recommendation for the human papillomavirus vaccine will drop to one shot only instead of two, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“This Schedule is rooted in the Gold Standard of Science, and widely agreed upon by Scientists and Experts all over the World,” US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social later on Monday. “Effective today, America will no longer require 72 ‘jabs’ for our beautiful, healthy children.”
The changes immediately triggered a rift with Republican Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate panel that oversees the HHS. Cassidy on Monday said changing the paediatric vaccine schedule would “cause unnecessary fear for patients and doctors” and “make Americans sicker”.
Cassidy, a doctor, cautiously endorsed Kennedy last year amid concerns about his vaccine policies.
Previously, the US recommended more childhood vaccine shots than any other developed country. Denmark, for example, only recommends childhood vaccines for 10 illnesses.
US officials emphasised vaccines will remain available and will be covered by insurance.
“All vaccines currently recommended by CDC will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing,” said Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“No family will lose access,” he said. “This framework empowers parents and physicians to make individualised decisions based on risk, while maintaining strong protection against serious disease.”
Since Trump’s inauguration a year ago, vaccine policy has dominated his health agenda. Last year, Kennedy fired CDC director Susan Monarez over vaccine policy.
Kennedy also fired all of the members of the US top vaccine advisory committee. An outspoken vaccine sceptic, Kennedy has said he wants to restore public trust in vaccines after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trump has repeatedly urged people to space out childhood vaccines, along with warning pregnant women to avoid taking the painkiller paracetamol, citing unproven links to autism.
“BREAK UP THE MMR SHOT INTO THREE TOTALLY SEPARATE SHOTS (NOT MIXED!), TAKE CHICKEN P SHOT SEPARATELY, TAKE HEPATITAS [sic] B SHOT AT 12 YEARS OLD, OR OLDER, AND, IMPORTANTLY, TAKE VACCINE IN 5 SEPARATE MEDICAL VISITS!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday.
Internationally, the Trump administration last year halted funding for the global vaccine group Gavi that provides free jabs for meningitis, malaria and other diseases.
Additional reporting from Lauren Fedor in Washington
