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The Trump Administration has dramatically reduced the number of recommended childhood vaccines, removing six routine immunizations from the Centers for Disease Control's routine schedule that protect against serious but vaccine-preventable diseases.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. hinted late last year that he’d like to recommend a vaccine schedule more in line with Denmark’s. In the HHS news release announcing the change, he was quoted as saying, “President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better.” He added, “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."
However, the international consensus is closer to the previous U.S. vaccine schedule, which targeted 17 diseases, than Denmark's, which targets 10. Germany's vaccine schedule targets 16 diseases. The U.K. and Australia target 15. Japan recommends vaccines against 14 diseases. Canada targets 17 pathogens. Mexico targets 16 diseases with its childhood vaccine program.
Dr. Jason Terk is a practicing general pediatrician in North Texas and a former president of the Texas Pediatric Society. He spoke with TPR's Bonnie Petrie about how the CDC's vaccine schedule came to be, offers advice to parents on what vaccinations they should get for their children, and directs parents to reliable sources, like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Vaccine Education Center, where they can get accurate, up-to-date information on how to keep their children healthy.
