Trump requests RFK Jr. to expedite vaccine schedule review

President Donald Trump has instructed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to move forward quickly with an examination of the vaccines routinely administered to American children. On Friday, Trump ordered Kennedy to reassess the current immunization schedule and consider adjusting it to resemble those used in other developed nations, many of which recommend fewer pediatric shots.

The directive, delivered as an official presidential memorandum, came just hours after federal vaccine advisers scaled back long-standing guidance that recommended vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B within their first 24 hours of life. Trump described the advisory panels decision on social media as a very good decision.

In the memo, Trump wrote that a comprehensive review is necessary to ensure Americans receive the most reliable and science-based medical guidance available. During meetings this week at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, experts presented arguments questioning the scope of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule and compared it with those in European countries such as Denmark, where children receive fewer immunizations.

Public health specialists pushed back, noting that countries with smaller populations and universal health care systems typically offer more consistent prenatal and early-life medical follow-up. Adam Langer, a hepatitis specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized that many U.S. infants do not receive sustained care once they leave the hospital, making comparisons to countries like Denmark unreliable.

The memorandum instructs the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC to evaluate proven practices from developed nations regarding core childhood vaccinations and the scientific evidence supporting them. Should these practices be deemed superior to current U.S. recommendations, the agencies are directed to revise the national vaccine schedule accordingly while maintaining access to all existing vaccines.

Trump has previously questioned the safety and structure of the childhood vaccine schedule, despite extensive research disproving a link between vaccines and autism. Kennedy has said Trump asked him to lead a vaccine safety panel during the first presidential transition, though no such panel materialized.

In a post on his social media platform, Trump noted that parents and scientists have raised concerns about the current schedule and expressed confidence that Kennedy and the CDC will make swift and appropriate updates that benefit American children.

Author: Aiden Foster