President Donald Trump on Dec. 5 signed a memorandum directing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reassess the United States’ childhood vaccine schedule and determine whether it should be brought into alignment with the schedules used by other developed countries.
The memorandum states that as of January 2025 the United States recommended childhood vaccination against 18 diseases, a number significantly higher than the recommendations in many peer nations. According to the White House, Denmark vaccinates against 10 diseases, Japan against 14, and Germany against 15. The memo states the U.S. is an outlier among developed countries and notes that concerns have grown among parents as the recommended number of childhood vaccines continues to increase.
Under Trump’s directive, federal health officials must examine how other advanced nations evaluate vaccine necessity, safety, and timing, and compare those approaches with U.S. practices. The memorandum instructs HHS and CDC to review international evidence, determine whether those foreign standards reflect stronger scientific justification, and report back to the White House. If HHS concludes that the practices of peer nations are supported by superior evidence, the administration expects the agencies to recommend appropriate changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. The memo also specifies that all vaccines currently available in the United States should remain accessible to families regardless of any changes to the recommended schedule.
The order highlights ongoing disputes over whether the U.S. vaccinates children more aggressively than other countries and whether the expanded schedule is necessary to maintain public health. It also reflects Trump’s broader effort to reassess federal public-health policy following the COVID-19 pandemic, during which vaccine recommendations and mandates became central political issues.
Supporters of the memo argue that the U.S. should periodically reevaluate long-standing vaccination practices to ensure they remain consistent with global data. Public-health officials with notable conflicts of interest and some medical organizations, funded by the pharmaceutical industry, have historically defended the broader U.S. schedule, saying it protects against diseases that still circulate or could reemerge if vaccination rates fall. Although the memorandum does not change any vaccine requirements by itself, it sets the stage for potential revisions that could alter the timing or number of recommended vaccines for American children.
The administration has not indicated when HHS and CDC will complete their review. The memorandum instructs both agencies to begin the evaluation immediately.
